


golden days

by kassandra_divina_trevelyan



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Best Friends, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Mutual Pining, Summer Love, Summer Romance, Summer Vacation, jealous ex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25707364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kassandra_divina_trevelyan/pseuds/kassandra_divina_trevelyan
Summary: Famous and accomplished journalist Kassandra Trevelyan has everything she needs. But a ghost from exes’ past, Sebastian Vael of the prominent Vael family, has her family up in arms when news reaches that he and his family are crashing the annual Trevelyan summer getaway and touting along his new fiancee. Against her will, Kass enlists the help of her friend Cullen Rutherford to play the role of her new beau. Matters get complicated when Kassandra realizes that she and Cullen might have more than friendship on the brain and Sebastian might not be over their split as he tried to seem.[Cullen Rutherford/Trevelyan, Sebastian Vael/Trevelyan (past)]
Relationships: Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Female Trevelyan/Sebastian Vael
Comments: 12
Kudos: 38





	1. the worst way to break up with someone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kassandra Trevelyan has it all: a thriving career, good friends, a doting boyfriend- until it all goes to shit

The hustle of the newsroom hardly kept out of the modest dressing room belonging to Kassandra Trevelyan, but she hardly minded. She loved the vibrancy and ceaseless activity of her job. Bright lights from the vanity shed needed light onto Thedas News Network’s most prominent star while her makeup artist, Persephone, frantically applied the finishing touches to her look for the show tonight. In the meanwhile, Kass swiftly read through the emergency cue cards prepared by her writing staff on the latest breaking news that broke in the commercial break between shows.

The production staff assured her that they could wheel out a hidden teleprompter and project the information for a smooth transition, but Kass assured them that no teleprompter would be necessary. She planned on memorizing her information and delivering as she had done a thousand times before.

“I don’t know how you memorize those cue cards so fast and under time constraints. I would probably have a meltdown!” Persephone murmured, thoroughly dazzled when Kassandra confidently set down the note cards and recited the opening monologue on the breaking lead. She watched Kass do that plenty of times before, and it never ceased to amaze her.

“Debate in college came in handy,” Kass delightedly remarked with a twinge of nostalgia poking its way in there, all while trying not to disturb Persephone’s work when she pulled out the tube of candy apple red lipstick that marked Kassandra’s signature look. She made sure to be still when Persephone approached with the tube in hand and followed Persephone’s non-verbal instructions, likely muscle memory from their nightly routine.

“I knew I should’ve done debate,” Persephone giggled, and the two women shared a good-natured laugh, seeing as they worked together for years and considered each other friends. Kassandra even happened to be a bridesmaid in Persephone’s wedding; she and her wife, Farah, were lovely. Their conversation got interrupted by the all-too-familiar buzz of a cell phone filling the room with incessant noise. Kass reached for her purse and fished out her vibrating phone, holding up the culprit with a knowing grin. On the screen flashed the caller ID: Sebastian.

Persephone saw this and gave Kass a respectful pat on the shoulder, signaling her departure from the room. Sebastian Vael was Kassandra’s boyfriend of several years, and they defined the idea of a power couple. Kass brushed the framing tendrils of hairs to the side and shook her shoulders, boosting her confidence. She pressed the accept call button and pressed the phone to her ear, wanting to keep whatever conversation between her and Sebastian private from prying ears.

“Hey there, handsome,” Kass purred into the phone, imaging Sebastian on the other end of the line and how he looked after a long day at the firm. She was Thedas’ journalist, and he worked tirelessly as an international law attorney, making them an accomplished it-couple for their personal achievements and their impressive lineage. Both the Trevelyan and Vael families were notoriously old money with the Vaels a smidge older, but the Trevelyans a tad richer. She pictured him wearing one of his best suits with the jacket discarded, tie loosened, and the sleeves of his button-down shirt rolled to his elbows. That would be a pleasant sight to come home to after a long day of grilling politicians and breaking the big stories of the news cycle. She leaned forward on the vanity while Persephone gave her some privacy by stepping out of the room. “What’s up? I’m about to go on air and all that jazz. If you need dinner, I think we have those leftovers from last night-”

“Kass, look, I think we need to- we should break up,” Sebastian interrupted her, rather coldly. The words escaping him stunned her less than the tone he used. He sounded like he was cross-examining an opposition witness instead of talking to his girlfriend. The disrespect magnified what he said, and Kass swore his words pierced her like a dagger rammed straight through her heart. The breath knocked clear out of her lungs, and she desperately tried to recover her bearings without gasping like a fucking fish out of water.

“I’m sorry, what?” Kass blinked, cringing because she knew she sounded like an idiot. She heard what he said loud and clear. This was her, giving him a chance at an explanation as to why something like that would come out of his mouth, over the phone, and while she was at work. 

“Listen, we can talk about this later. You should go,” Sebastian remarked, sounding frustrated from that trademark sigh of his. Despite the tightening of her chest upon hearing his dismissive tone, Kass wasn’t content to just drop the matter. She was about to go on air. This couldn’t have waited until she got home?

“Wait, I-” Kass protested, but the other line clicked rudely and went dead, leaving Kass with only a dial tone to her questions needing answers. In disbelief, Kass pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it blankly. She awkwardly, stiffly placed the phone on the vanity and retracted her hand jerkily like she burned herself on something scalding hot. She didn’t know whether to scream, throw something, sit in silence—all she knew is that she felt about ready to throw up. It took her numbly reaching out to her face and touching the tears streaking down her cheeks to realize that she started crying. Careful not to fuss or ruin her hair, Kass bowed her head down and rested it within the nest of her arms along the edge of the vanity. An ugly cry escaped her lips, and her shoulders trembled from forcing herself to quiet her sorrow, making her feel uncertain and on the verge of collapse. This wasn’t happening! What was she supposed to do?

The lights in the room flickered to signal places, and Kass, unable to do anything, turned to face herself in the mirror. She carefully grabbed a nearby tissue and dabbed at her eyes, cleaning up the smudged mascara from the corners and lower lid of her eyes. She blinked once, twice, three times to dispel the lingering tears. She neatly folded the cards with her freshly written lead-in, swallowed thickly, and glanced up at herself to see a stoic reflection. She appeared emotionless, devoid of anything in the face. She could save the anger for the camera or after they dropped.

Kass gracefully vacated her dressing room and turned the flat expression into a dazzling smile within mere seconds, greeting the camera crew with warmth and special greetings returned to her when she passed. She sat behind her desk and received a flurry of quick touch-ups from the crew before she received the green light that they were live.

“Good evening Thedas. I am Kassandra Trevelyan, and this is The Inquisition. Our breaking story of the hour comes from Orlais where Emperor Celene announced a press conference to discuss the surrender of her cousin Duke Gaspard de Chalons, after a bloody civil war for the throne.” Kassandra recited perfectly, demonstrating poise and professionalism without a single crack in the serene smile she plastered onto her face.

* * *

When the cameras finished rolling, nothing stopped Kassandra from bolting out of her chair, racing off the set, and heading home. The camera-ready smile dropped, and she spent the drive back to her place, shrouded in silence. No radio, no phone calls, not even listening to the ambient rush of traffic could calm down the war drum of a heartbeat ringing in her ears. Rarely the type to let anger consume her, there was nothing Kassandra could do in the situation to keep from going ballistic. That reflected in how she barely kept herself within a reasonable range of the speed limit.

Pulling up to the porte-cochère of her apartment complex, located in the heart of Denerim, the capital of Ferelden, Kassandra tossed her spare car keys at the valet, who caught them. The staff of the building knew Kassandra for her punctuality, adherence to routine, and typically polite demeanor. However, seeing her eyes blazing with fury and her candy apple red lips drew into a glowering frown instructed the staff to avoid incurring her anger.

“I’ll be back. Leave the car here,” Kassandra remarked coolly before entering the apartment complex, her heels clicking against the polished marble floors of the lobby. She pulled out her keys and approached the elevator, deftly moving past a couple walking too slow in front of her. She wore a bitchy expression that warned everyone to stay around five feet away from her and to not consider bothering her. She caught the elevator as it opened before she reached for the button, and she slipped inside. She pressed the button for her floor, and then close the doors button twice in one swift motion. She watched as the doors ominously closed between her and the outside world.

* * *

To say Kassandra rushed to enter the apartment would be not quite the truth. She arrived on her floor, the fourteenth, quite promptly as the elevators in her building worked efficiently. Considering what she paid rent for this place, the functioning of services was an expectation. She actually spent around five minutes, pacing up and down the hallway outside her apartment while she pieced together what she wanted to say. However, a small part of her knew that all practiced intentions were flying out the window the second she stepped foot through that door. Call it a hunch or journalist intuition.

She shoved her keys away because she already knew he likely left the door unlocked as he typically did, much to her chagrin and repeated protestations. She gave the handle a jiggle and determined that her apartment was indeed unlocked and accessible to anyone who managed to reach the floor. Ignoring her safety concerns was the least of her worries at the moment—which spoke volumes about her priorities—but she threw that addition of frustration onto Sebastian’s funeral pyre.

 _“Predictable bastard,”_ Her thoughts bitterly snarled as she pushed open the door roughly and ignores the sound of the flying door slam into the wall behind it. Something clearly fell off the wall, and Kass would guess it was one of those stupid, mass-produced paintings Sebastian insisted on buying at the home décor store. She hardly gave a shit to check at the moment and didn’t have the patience to muster up a fake apology, either. Her eyes were those of a predator, zeroing in on her prey and preparing for the kill.

“Kass, darling, can we talk about this?” Sebastian staggered off the couch when he heard the front door slam open, looking like a startled animal. He found himself faced with his girl—his soon-to-be-ex—with eyes brimming with anger and her beautiful, regal features twisted up in unbridled rage. She leveled an accusatory finger at him but fell short of prodding him in the chest. Her shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and Kassandra couldn’t remember the last time that she felt this enraged.

“Talk? You think that you can smooth this over by talking? There’s nothing to talk about, other than the fact you humiliated me. You decide to show me your true colors tonight. I can’t believe that after two and a half years of being together, you can end it like that. You didn’t have the courage to say it to my face—so you called me before I went on air?” Kassandra questioned, demanding the answer to the question burning on her mind through her entire show and on the drive home: why? She didn’t think there was any reason he might give her to excuse what he did, none whatsoever.

“I’m sorry about that-” Sebastian weakly protested, but Kassandra threw her hand up, blocking his face from her view. He was sorry? That was rich. Where was his sorry over an hour and a half ago when she quietly cried in her dressing room, went out and did her job like nothing was wrong, only for her to fall apart in the parking garage of the news building. In disbelief of what she heard, she walked away from Sebastian and heard him following behind her. Much to her disdain, he believed that he could fix this.

“Did you ever love me, or was that a lie too?” Kassandra threw a cutting glare over her shoulder as she paused in the doorway of their shared bedroom, her eyes turning to downright daggers aiming for his neck. If looks could kill, the apartment would be a crime scene or the site of a nuclear bomb going off. When Sebastian stammered in the lapse of silence, she rolled her eyes and stormed into their bedroom without sticking around to hear his half-assed answer. For a lawyer, he sure did suck at saying anything, or maybe lying was the trade specialty. 

“Kass, c’mon… don’t do this.” Sebastian groaned and rubbed at his face as he followed behind her into the bedroom. She was halfway protruding from the closet where they shared space for their clothes. Everything around them wasn’t Sebastian’s or Kassandra’s; it was theirs.

“Do what? I’m reasonably questioning everything I thought I knew about you and this relationship.” Kassandra snidely replied without even waiting to throw his words back in his face, watching his face fall in frustration. She wasn’t listening to him, and she knew that pissed him off, but he hardly deserved shit from her right now. Her first instinct was to guess an affair, and although not a jealous person, the thought caused her stomach to churn. She needed to get away from him, and so, she dropped a suitcase on the bed unceremoniously. She returned to the closet and gathered up as much as she could carry in clothing and shoes.

“What are you doing?” Sebastian asked, wincing that those words escaped his lips. Boy, he truly embodied foot in mouth syndrome that evening with how recklessly he spoke. Kassandra bit back a scathing response, which would come across extremely unladylike of her, and shoved it down deep—right next to the needling urge to scream. She dropped the clothes she collected into a single pile, complete with shoes, and went to retrieve toiletries from the bathroom. She grabbed the bare essentials that would sustain her for a few days away and re-entered the bedroom, infuriated at the sight of Sebastian standing there with arms crossed. He had the gall to look annoyed at her, which sent her over the moon and probably turning the same shade of red as her favorite red carpet dress from King Alistair’s coronation two years prior to where she was a guest and got an inside interview.

“Calling my friend and packing a bag. You can keep the fucking apartment,” Kassandra remarked, too busy punching in the phone number to look up at Sebastian. Knowing him, he would be pouting at her with those baby blues of his begging her to hear him out. However, she was far from a listening mood after him speaking so recklessly. He didn’t get to hurt her but then backtrack when he realized that she might leave; actions had consequences, and he better be prepared to accept his. She pressed the phone into the secured nook between her ear and shoulder, the grip knocking several tendrils of hair loose from her simplistic bun assembled for that evening’s show. She messily shoved clothes, undergarments, toiletries, and work necessities into the suitcase she plucked from the closet. She flicked her eyes over to where Sebastian awkwardly stood on the opposite side of the bed. The distance was setting in for her, encouraging her to leave the house of memories she built that she wanted to see up in flames. She abruptly zipped the suitcase when she finished packing what little she could right then and there. She would be back in the next few days with some men to move all her things, although she knew her brothers and her friends would volunteer to help out for the opportunity to glare at the man responsible. She walked past Sebastian without hesitation and into the hallway outside their apartment.

“You think we need to break up? Fine. You’ll get exactly what you wished for.” She harshly snapped while she pulled up the suitcase’s handle and turned away from Sebastian, marching away in her expensive stilettos and head held high as the phone picked up. 


	2. a not-so good blast from the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time has passed since the break-up and Kass has come out on top of it all. However, a familiar face threatens to destroy her summer and her family approaches with an interesting proposition to fix her woes.

**_One year later…_ **

Standing in the middle of her living room, spacious enough when she dragged the glass coffee table off to the side, Kassandra transitioned herself from downward facing dog into upward facing dog and marveled at the cracking sound coming from her hips. Holding a stationary job meant she grew accustomed to sitting all day, especially if she booked multiple panels in a single day on top of her nightly show.

A good friend of hers, Mavis, suggested that she try yoga to combat the stiffness of her back and joints and Kass had nothing to lose by trying. She was only three weeks into her daily routine and noticed a considerable difference in her posture and a lessening of pain. She would swear by yoga anytime someone asked.

To complement the experience, she would light a few candles, keep the room relatively dark, and play some ambient noise. Meditation often followed a productive yoga session for emotional centering, which benefitted her before entering the studio. Working in the political journalism sector could rile anyone up, and finding spaces outside the difficult work was critical to mental stability. Otherwise, Kass would’ve started tearing out her hair.

During her transition onto her feet, Kass heard a knock at the door and she hit pause on her phone. The ambient music filtering through her apartment from the television halted, and she waited to hear another knock, which came quickly after the first.

“Coming!” Kassandra exclaimed and went to answer the door, instinctually smoothing out her yoga pants and tightening her ponytail. She wasn’t expecting anyone work-related, but she preferred to feel prepared by an unexpected visit. She pulled open the door to a pair of matching blue eyes and spiked black hair, wrapped up in a varsity-style jacket that likely had ‘Trevelyan’ embroidered on the back. “Theo! Oh, my Maker!”

“What’s up, shorty?” Theo grinned and swept his sister into a crushing bear hug, pulling her off her feet in his excitement. Kass would ignore his playful jab at her height since he had been referring to her as the shortest Trevelyan since she was sixteen. When he set her back down, she gave him a light shove.

“What are you doing here? I wasn’t expecting you until lunch at Redcliffe’s-” Kass explained so he wouldn’t think she was anything other than thrilled to have him here. His visit was unexpected, but much appreciated.

“Ah, I thought I might swing by and spend a little extra time with my favorite sister.” Theo shrugged nonchalantly, and his grin never faltered.

“Theo, I am your only sister,” Kass quirked her brow while leaning against the frame of the door, thoroughly amused by her brother. She figured that he might enjoy a sports metaphor, “Not much of a victory when you’re the only competitor in the running.”

“Fine, my favorite sibling would be a better statement- but don’t tell Alek,” Theo whispered like he expected someone in the empty hallway to overhear him declare a favorite, causing Kass to shake her head. Theo was indeed something else.

“I have a feeling Alek might already know,” Kass teased on the tail-end of a laugh. She and Theo were close, ever since childhood. They were around three years or less apart in age, and Theo made it his mission to protect his little sister. Although Kass never needed him. She did appreciate the sentiment of someone unequivocally having her back. She gestured to her apartment, “Well, come inside! I was just going to hit the shower and change. You’re free to make yourself comfortable.” She opened the door and stepped out of Theo’s way, letting him past her and into the apartment.

Theo strolled past her with a cheeky grin before unceremoniously flopping onto her couch, not batting an eye at the moved table or the burning candles. He didn’t care if his sister was doing yoga or summoning an ancient demon; he was content to sprawl across the couch like a lovable mabari and lounge.

Kass jogged past to extinguish all the candles, sealing the flames in their jars with a closed lid smothering the fire. She flashed her brother an easygoing smile when rounding the wall toward her bedroom. She would be quick with the shower, but the new lavender-scented sugar scrub she purchased from the marketplace gave her a persuaded pause to consider. 

* * *

Kass exited her bedroom, smelling of strawberry shampoo and fleeting kiss expensive perfume that likely cost well into the hundreds of dollars. Her touched-up waves framed her face and complimented the casual outfit she pulled out for her lunch, knowing her parents wouldn’t mind the skinny jeans and sleek blazer combo she plucked from her closet.

In her hands, she fiddled with a tube of shimmery pink lip-gloss meant to adorn her lips on top of the nude pink lipstick she applied while in the bathroom. When she returned to the living room, she caught sight of Theo leaning in the open door of her fridge and casually raiding the drawers for anything he found appealing. Kass quickly swiped the lip-gloss across her bottom lip, capped it, and chucked it clear across the room. The tube smacked Theo in the back of the head and startled him out of her fridge.

“What did Coach Tabris say about snacking outside your diet?” Kass questioned him sternly, walking over in her heels and shaking her head disapprovingly. Theo knew better than to cheat on his diet as Della Tabris, a former athlete herself and his hard-liner coach could sniff out a defector from a mile away. She would know that Theo busted his orders, and that might result in additional training to keep him in the target weight zone.

“I didn’t think you were going to use that against me or dare to snitch on me. You’re supposed to be on my side, sister,” Theo whined, somewhat affronted that Kass reminded him about the Maker-awful diet he needed to stay on with one planned cheat day once every two weeks. Kass giggled as she approached, closed the fridge, and retrieved the lip-gloss from the floor. She dropped it into her purse and gave Theo a quirked brow.

“I’m a journalist, Theo. I snitch for a living if you want to split hairs,” Kass playfully reminded while she snuck a pinch of his cheek. Theo leaned away, not able to escape his sister’s teasing despite his height advantage. He swatted her hand to the side and ignored her peals of laughter as the two headed for the door. She hummed, “Besides, I kind of like getting to watch the TV and see my older brother standing on the podium of the Thedas Games with a gold medal in hand. Plus, you always tear up at the Ostwick national anthem.”

“It’s a beautiful song!” Theo defended as Kass as he ducked through the front door, and she locked it behind them. In that time, Theo glanced over his little sister’s outfit choice and compared the two of them—seeing she was dressed way nicer than he was. She looked ready to do a photoshoot and less like the mediator between the dumbassery he and Alek would get into. Kass knew well that Theo and Alek shared a singular brain cell and passed it between the two of them like hot potato. He gave her a playful nudge, “As far as I remember, we aren’t meeting the King of Fereldan over lunch. Why you got to get all glamorous for lunch and make me and Alek look bad?”

“Theo, my dear brother, someone has to keep the Trevelyan name synonymous with prestige. I figure that dressing up nicely when out and about helps to keep the tabloids from saying shit about our family, and I find looking good empowers me.” Kass explained, and she saw him nodding, understanding that the Trevelyan name came with expectations that Kass was insistent on exceeding. See, the Trevelyan name belonged to a family of endless talent and accomplishments.

Hugo Trevelyan, the family patriarch and their father, was a multimedia mogul and business tycoon with millions in net worth. Their mother, Aurora Trevelyan (née Valmont), started her career as a model and encompassed an acting career. Their older brother, Alek, planned to follow in the footsteps of their father and take over the family company. Theo competed on the world stage for Ostwick as an acclaimed gymnast. As for Kass, she was barely twenty-six with her own nightly news show and several awards for her journalism skills. The Trevelyans were, for lack of a better word, the elite of society.

The two of them took the elevator down to the lobby, where they would retrieve Theo’s car from the valet. If Kass knew her brother at all, she would guess he brought his favorite convertible out for a drive. Entering the lobby, the two brushed off the gawking stares meant for Theo since she was a fixture around the apartment, but Theo wasn’t. That and Fereldens took their sports quite seriously, which meant they watched the games religiously. Theo gave a smile to anyone whose eyes he met while Kass waved politely as they crossed the lobby.

Theo and Kass requested the car from the valet and waited on the steps for… the convertible, as Kass predicted. She knew her brother well. Theo tipped the valet after accepting his keys from them, dangling them victoriously. He and Kass approached the car with Kass standing at the passenger side door, waiting for Theo to open the door. He sauntered up behind her and twirled the keys in hand, wearing a goofy grin.

“How much shit would I get in with mom and dad if I benched you in the backseat?” Theo mused aloud, and he dodged around Kass throwing a fake punch for his stomach by running around to his side of the car. With the body of the convertible standing between him and his sister, he relished the safety of knowing she probably wouldn’t chase after him in high heels. However, she somehow ran wickedly fast in those medieval torture devices masquerading around as acceptable footwear, and he knew his soul might leave his body.

“You wouldn’t dare,” Kass narrowed her eyes at him, and her ferocious little scowl made him choke back a laugh, knowing that he might be the athlete of the family and yet, Kass was the most dangerous of them. She might be a kind of small body, but she packed a punch, and misery knew the names of anyone who crossed her.

“Maybe not. Get in shorty-” Theo teased as he opened the car and let Kass get into the passenger side of the luxury sports car. He opened the driver’s side for himself, and the two of them slipped into the luxurious car. Kass looked over at Theo meaningfully.

“Be careful now. We wouldn’t want to explain to Coach Tabris how you ended up with busted kneecaps, would we?” Kass casually remarked, which caused Theo to throw his hands up defensively and whistle innocently. He knew his sister well enough to know that you never called her bluff or shrugged off a threat from her. She meant business and never spoke when she didn’t mean it. Kass’s shoulders puffed up with brazen pride, and she grinned wickedly when buckling herself in. The purr of the engine filled the car when Theo turned on the ignition, and Kass closed her eyes, soaking in the vibrations as Theo pulled out the parking spot and drove out into the city.

* * *

Pulling up outside the Redcliffe Castle, a popular eatery in Fereldan, Theo passed off his keys to another awestruck valet. He held the door open for Kass to depart the car. The Trevelyan siblings headed inside and barely slid through the grand double doors before a hostess scrambled to meet them with a cheery smile. She guided them to a private room in the back and held open the door, revealing one-fifth of their party already there: her oldest brother Alek Trevelyan.

“Alek!” Kass greeted as her brother rose from his seat and warmly opened his arms to his younger siblings, beckoning them into a hug. The three Trevelyan siblings, the tight-knit trio, hugged it out with grins.

“Good to see you two,” Alek declared, and the hostess departed from the room to provide the famous family some privacy. He clapped Theo on the shoulder when they chose their seats in the same arrangement they always did: Alek on the left, Theo in the middle, and Kass on the right. Alek grinned at Kass with an inkling of pride. “So, I caught your show the other night. Did you have to eviscerate Arl Teagan that badly? I’m surprised the cleaning crew didn’t have to scrape unrecognizable bits of him off the floor since you mauled him, little lion.” Whereas Theo labeled Kass by her height, Alek fondly referred to her as ‘little lion’ since their childhood. Kass always held a sharp tongue and the instincts of a natural-born hunter meant for debating and uncovering the truth.

“He thought he could get away with lying to the Theodosian people and me.” Kass reasoned smoothly with no hint of regret. She did notice the faces of the crew during the commercial break, and the reactions were a mix of shock and delight after the grueling questioning she dragged Arl Teagan through by the scruff of his neck.

Further conversation would have to wait as the door swung open again with the same, harried hostess escorting their parents. Alek, Theo, and Kass rose from their seats with smiles to greet their parents, but those smiles faltered when they observed the solemn expressions of their parents. Was something wrong?

“Everyone, please take a seat.” Her father requested politely, but strain entered his voice that worried the children and sent the hostess scrambling from the room.

“You two are scaring me,” Theo joked, hoping to make the mood of the private room lighter, but he was met by silence. The three children quietly returned to their chairs with tangible tension thick enough to a knife to slice through.

“Mother, you seem distressed. What’s the matter?” Alek reached for his mother’s hands, but she appeared somewhat unresponsive. Perhaps she was overwhelmed by whatever had her so ghastly pale. Biding her time to ask questions of her own, Kass quietly picked up the pot of tea her brother ordered for the table and poured her mother a glass. She accentuated it with a small spoon of sugar and handed it to her mother, who accepted it with a lengthy first sip. Kass picked up her own and sipped, hoping that the tea might unwind the tense atmosphere.

“About our vacation, there is a little problem that we need to address. Your father and I overheard some troubling news while out to dinner the other night as we ran into the Vaels. Apparently, they and their family will be attending Forbidden Oasis this summer, including Sebastian. Worst of all, Sebastian is bringing along his new fiancée!” Upon hearing that, Kass nearly choked on the tea she sipped at and descended into a fit of hacking coughs. Her brothers eyed each other with disdain at the name “Sebastian Vael,” and the reaction had been the same since the bombshell break-up between the allegedly happy couple. Her father leaned over and soothingly rubbed her back until her coughs stopped, and Kass rubbed at her watery eyes from hacking up a lung. That came from nearly choking and not from hearing Sebastian had a new woman in his life-

“The audacity of that bastard-” Theo growled out, earning him a swift glare from Kass while she recovered from her near choking on a mouthful of tea. She understood that her family wasn’t altogether over the break-up, nor did they like Sebastian and his family since that moment, but she didn’t suggest they remain hung up on the Vaels. She moved on for her sake, which means they could do the same.

“Oh, we must do something about this. I cannot spend a whole summer dealing with that accursed family with their insufferable need to flaunt this new development.” Her mother fanned at her face, glancing at her daughter pointedly. Kass blankly blinked, and she hoped her mother didn’t expect her to create a miraculous solution on the spot as not to humiliate themselves. The tabloids would have a field day with an awkward encounter.

“So, I have a radical idea,” Alek smoothly remarked to fill the void of silence and turned to Kass, his little sister, with a sympathetic smile but a glint in his eye that told her she should be worried. Alek was a brilliant mind, and nothing good could come of her family’s irreparable hatred of anything Vael and the obviously petty crashing of their vacation. “You invite someone to come with us on vacation and pretend to be a date of yours. I don’t think anyone in their right mind would turn down an all-expenses-paid trip and the chance to pretend to be the new beau of Kassandra Trevelyan, the nightly news darling.”

“Alek, you are a genius!” Her mother allowed a startled gasp and pressed a kiss to the temple of her eldest son, grinning as he wiped away the mauve lipstick stain left behind on his skin. If the Vaels wished to make a big deal of their son’s love life, then the Trevelyans could retaliate with equal measure.

“Not an awful idea, son.” Her father mused his approval, quite impressed, while Theo shrugged indifferently. He did find the idea of a decoy date as ingenious, though. For all the positive or ambivalent reactions of those around the table, everyone seemed to forget the opinion of Kassandra. You know, the one who would be responsible for procuring the fake date, convince them to play along for the summer, and do a convincing enough job to fool Sebastian.

“Woah, woah, wait a minute! There is no way in the Void that I would be okay with spending the summer canoodling a stranger to enact juvenile revenge against Sebastian and his family!” Kass protested, feeling like the suggestion went too far for her. Embarrassment crept down her neck, and she wished she could call up Mavs for the brilliant engineer to construct a canon to throw her into the Waking Sea right about now.

“Oh, Maker no, Kass! I was operating with the assumption that you could pick someone we would vet thoroughly. I have plenty of contacts in the business industry that owe me a favor or two and could be persuaded by a monetary payment.” Alek clarified, rubbing at his chin while considering who among his friends might be a good fit for his sister. Kass wanted to groan, feeling less than stellar about the idea.

“Alek, I don’t feel comfortable with a random business friend of yours. Even if I were on board, hypothetically, who would I ask?” Kass couldn’t believe what she was hearing from those sitting around the table. She felt stunned into silence and, frankly, somewhat appalled by the implication. So, Sebastian moved on? So what? Last she checked, her career was thriving beyond her wildest expectations, and she was content with her single status. Sure, she tried a date here and there, upon her parents’ attempts at matchmaking and understood their intentions were good, but she wasn’t actively searching for anyone. It wasn’t like she felt incomplete without a romantic companion, and she never adhered to that fucked up societal expectation either. Her question posed around the table did make her family think about what she was asking of them. God forbid they ask her to proposition a virtual stranger, which seemed trite at best and dubious at worst. Then, that left her to ask people she knew and how awkward of a conversation might that be?

“What about that friend of yours? Handsome, curly blonde hair? He seems like husband material-” Her mother chimed in, after a few minutes of silence, and Kass nearly spit out the tea she happened to be drinking. She had to stop doing that! That was the _second_ time that evening- Wait a minute, her mother wasn’t referring to who she thought she was, right?

“CULLEN? You mean my best friend, Cullen Rutherford?” Kass spluttered, knowing for a fact that her blush was so red that even the Maker could see it. Cullen happened to be the one male, non-relative in her inner circle who knew her as well as or even better than she did herself. He wasn’t lacking in the looks or personality department either, which made her face burn like a roaring wildfire.

“Cullen, yes! Oh, he would be perfect!” Her mother exclaimed cheerfully, glad Kass understood to whom she was referring. She pleasantly missed the way her daughter’s face paled and the panic swirling in her eyes. Was her mother insane? Had her whole family descended into madness?

“Isn’t he the professor you brought as your companion to the family gala a few months back?” Her father questioned from behind his menu, occupied by the selection of- oh, Maker, who was she kidding? He was likely stuck in the Fereldan comfort foods section as his palate was limited, and he avoided spice like the Blight. 

“Yes, a distinguished professor of ethics, religion, and history at Skyhold University,” Kass confirmed, nearly slapping a hand over her mouth to shut herself up. She needed to stop talking before she dug herself a hole she couldn’t get out of. But by the looks exchanged by those around the table, she was too little too late to save herself.

“Personally, I think he would be the best man for the job. Plus, he and I are on good terms.” Theo, realizing that Cullen was on the table, seemed to change his once ambivalent stance to one of positivity. He liked Cullen. He met him on many occasions through Kass and noticed how respectful he was toward her. Frankly, Kass should date more men like Cullen and less like Sebastian.

“I think that Sebastian, seeing someone like Cullen in the picture, might find himself regretting a rebound engagement. Those are just-” Alek scoffed, cutting himself off from whatever derisive comment he planned to announce to those around the table. Not to mention, he knew how men like Sebastian worked. Seeing Kass with someone who some might consider an upgrade—although Sebastian was far from a poor choice—would irk Sebastian to no end. It hardly mattered that he “moved on” so quickly since the end of their relationship because double standards were quite the bitch. The truth that Kassandra could survive and undoubtedly thrive without him would cripple the idea that he was irreplaceable.

“I really don’t care about what Sebastian thinks or who he’s seeing. Can’t I make enough of a statement by being in a thriving career, satisfied with my singleness, and still ‘win’? I don’t see Sebastian’s happiness with someone else as a loss for me because I know that me leaving was the better option for me. I feel much happier without Sebastian around because I feel unburdened by my success eclipsing his, which leaves the only competition between me and the version of me I want to be.” Kass’s statement did raise a valid point if it were only Sebastian showing up. However, the inclusion of the Vael clan escalated the situation drastically and Kass should know that, especially since she contemplated them as her potential in-laws.

“This isn’t just about making a statement, my star. Much worse consequences come with the unexpected visitors crashing our annual vacation spot when they refused to come with us for the last two consecutive years. You know how insufferable the Vaels are, especially his parents. They will cause problems during our vacation because they will see you, without a partner, and feel vindicated in their son’s actions. Your mother and I are immensely proud of your career accomplishments, but the Vaels will see no reason to hold back from poking fun.” Her father mentioned, and Kass couldn’t help the wince, knowing her father had a point. Saying Sebastian’s parents were competitive would be underselling it. Their favorite activity during joint dinners was bragging competitions over just about anything: their wealth, their children, their lavish vacations. It made uniting the two clans harder on Sebastian and Kassandra, who desperately wished they would get along so a potential wedding wouldn’t be impacted by incessant bickering. Even when they agreed, there was a smug underlayer to the comments exchanged from the Vael side of things.

Under the eyes of her family, Kass pouted and bit back a defeated sigh. She was effectively backed into a corner on this issue.

“I can’t believe I’m considering this,” Kass blanched and rubbed at the back of her neck awkwardly, finding herself at a rare loss of words. There was no other way to appease them, and she could always tell them that Cullen turned her down. “I will ask Cullen-”

“Oh, thank the Maker!” Her mother gasped, slumped in her seat, and found herself accompanied by a chorus of thankful remarks from the others. Or was their chattering more excitement than anything else? Their instantaneous excitement earned a flicker of suspicion from Kassandra, making her narrow her eyes. 

“I said, I will ask. There is no guarantee that Cullen will agree to this insane scheme you’ve cobbled together.” Kass corrected them, missing the stares exchanged over her head when she gracefully picked her menu off her lap. They had a feeling that Cullen might agree to anything if Kass asked him. She sighed, “Now, in the name of Andraste, can we please talk about something else?” She resisted burying her face into her hands as her parents, content with her answer, happily complied with busying the conversation on an unrelated topic. Just what had she gotten herself into?


	3. wanna be my fake boyfriend for a month? please?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now comes the hard part: convincing Cullen to pretend to be her boyfriend. Kass is sure that he'll say no and that such a suggestion might strain their close friendship, but surprises are in store for her.

Stepping onto the campus of Skyhold University, Kassandra felt a rush of memories greet her when approaching the vast courtyard with the fortified stone buildings and bustling crowds of students. It was good to be back at her alma mater.

Founded in 5:42 Exalted, Divine Justinia II ordered the renovation of old, abandoned castles to transform into higher learning establishments. Thus, Skyhold University became one of Fereldan’s oldest and most prestigious colleges. Although the buildings might retain the long-forgotten aesthetic of the previous ages, their interiors boasted state of the art technology and the modern twist that kept Skyhold one of the best universities across Southern Thedas.

The afternoon ended up overcast, following a morning of showers, making Kass’ choice in dress of a sleek teal pantsuit appropriate to weather the chill of spring in the mountains. Her stroll through campus toward the liberal arts building, the route as familiar as her daily commute. Besides her undergraduate years, where she earned degrees in political science and journalism with minors in economics, history, and legal studies, Kassandra often visited the campus. Her connections with Cullen and past with the university often got her invited to alumni events as his companion or a keynote guest speaker in the school of communications. 

She moved through the sparse gaggles of students not in class and slow-walking tours of the campus, knowing exactly where to go. Being a former student held its perks, but knowing Cullen’s schedule and location of all his classes worked in her favor more so. The reason: Kass frequently visited Cullen at work for the two to get lunch and talk endlessly about work, something that happened at least once or twice every two weeks. So, she knew that his schedule for the spring semester contained more religious studies, ethics, and the intersection between those two topics, whereas the fall semester would have his history and religion studies courses.

Ducking inside the building, Kassandra entered the first floor with the polished linoleum flooring and gold-trimmed navy banners hanging along the walls. She headed directly for the stairs, and her powerful strides saw her taking two stairs at a time despite her stiletto pumps. Cullen’s class on Andrastian Ethics resided on the third floor, which meant two flights of stairs.

Reaching Cullen’s classroom, she spotted the open doorway and helped herself to lean in the open doorway. She didn’t want to accidentally interrupt his class since she expected he would be ending within the next few minutes. Relaxing in the doorframe, she observed the classroom of attentive students focused on a man in the front of the room. With his dark, square-framed glasses hiding bright amber eyes, charcoal grey waistcoat suits, and his blond hair presentably slicked back from their natural curl, Professor Cullen Rutherford acted as the image of professionalism. Taking in his expression, Kass assumed he was in the middle of his impassioned lectures about some lofty subject. She could tell from the fire in his eyes when he discussed his passions within the subject.

“-That returns us to the question of why evil exists or can exist, with the presence of the Maker. So, does anyone else have a theory as to why evil affects our world if the Maker allegedly promotes the light and goodness within his sinful creations? There are no wrong answers for this discussion-” Cullen inquired while glancing up, noticing Kassandra in the doorway. He felt himself forget where he was when meeting his best friend’s twinkling eyes, unable to stop the smile twitching at his lips. Then, he remembered where he was, meaning that he should finish this lecture. Some of the students recognized the pause as abnormally long and followed the gaze of their professor to see him held captive in the presence of the svelte, suit-clad brunette in the doorway. Shaking his head, Cullen cleared his throat, “That’ll conclude today’s lecture. We will pick back up on this in two days. Remember that you have an essay due to me by the end of the week, no later than midnight. You are dismissed for the day.”

Kassandra walked forward, past the eagerly packing students, and her exuded confidence attracted the eyes of students. They glanced between her and Prof. Rutherford, who was smiling brightly, and wondered what the connection was there. Many of them recognized Kass’s face since her stern blue eyes often pierced through the television screens between breaking news headlines. Others, less familiar with Kassandra and her pervasive status, wildly speculated the relationship between her and their professor through the wordless stares exchanged in the space between them. Looking for a wedding band on either of their fingers, the prying eyes wondered if the stunning woman was Professor Rutherford’s girlfriend or his wife?

“I didn’t want to interrupt,” Kass remarked when reaching Cullen, comfortably accepting his hug and delighted chuckle. The students still in the room eyed them, although most of them found their attention elsewhere.

“Well, I might not mind the distraction sometimes. Blank-eyed stares and awkward silences rarely give me any enjoyment, and I know you to humor my quest for knowledge.” Cullen replied, and he held her at arm’s length, the two quite comfortable with each other. Kass’s smile widened undeniably with a cheerfulness that Cullen found irresistibly infectious, bringing a smile to him. He wasn’t much of a smiler, yet he’d always make an exception for Kass.

“I’ll make a note of that for future reference,” Kassandra teased, a laugh airily bouncing off the walls and earning more whispers from the students. She pushed her loose hair over her shoulder and reached into her purse to grab her phone. “Where are we going for lunch today?”

“Herald’s Rest finally opened, and I thought we might get something nice. We still haven’t properly celebrated your promotion.” Cullen explained and glanced over her shoulder, making Kass turn her face to see a student of his shyly waiting her turn.

“Sounds like a plan,” Kass agreed before stepping to the side, letting Cullen deal with the student’s question since that was his duty as the professor. She smiled kindly at the girl and sat on the edge of an open desk, phone in hand, and the burning question she came to ask reminding Kass of its presence. 

* * *

When Cullen finished up with a few straggling students and their questions, he escorted Kassandra to the newest dining spot on campus. The Herald’s Rest, aptly named for Skyhold’s mascot, modeled a rustic pub-style down to the hearth fireplace and wooden interior. Entering the restaurant, Cullen watched Kass delightedly laugh when she passed him, holding the door open for her.

“This place looks amazing,” Kass remarked, feeling overdressed for the chosen venue, but she would be in good company with Cullen—since he wore a suit of his own. She glanced over her shoulder at her best friend, catching him and his eyes smiling.

“Thought you’d like it. You were quite keen on when we went to that Ren Faire for Tethras’ story research.” Cullen said, reminding Kass of one of the best moments of her life. Varric Tethras, a good friend of hers, invited her to a Ren Faire so he could do story research. Kass brought Cullen along to accompany her, Varric, and his wife (also named Cassandra) to explore the fair. There wasn’t a dull moment, and some of them went home with souvenirs they probably shouldn’t have—like a real sword or a working crossbow. 

“Hey, give a lady a sword and shield, and she’ll love it,” Kass remarked confidently. She recalled the joy she felt when testing her might in the sword fighting arena and winning against the knight. Holding a sword and shield felt so right that she suspected she was a warrior in a previous life.

“I’ll keep that in mind for future attempts to woo a lady friend.” Cullen quirked his brow, intending to save that somewhere. Honestly, he would’ve tried gifting women he found attractive swords much sooner if he had known. A small part of him assumed that might just be Kass, but he’d still keep it in mind.

“First piece of advice: don’t call her a ‘lady friend.’” Kass mused with the hallmarks that she was teasing evident, and Cullen prepared a rebuttal when the student employee of the restaurant scurried up to them with menus tucked under her arm. From the wide-eyed expression and rigid posture, she recognized Cullen, Kassandra, or both. 

“Professor Rutherford, right this way! And you too, Miss Trevelyan!” She exclaimed and ushered them into an empty table, picking out a nice corner table for some privacy. She immediately handed a breadbasket into Kass’ waiting arms before setting down their menus and scurrying off to grab the water. Cullen and Kass eyed each other but said nothing about the erratic behavior.

“Caught the last part of your lecture, and it seemed like you were into it today,” Kass casually mentioned, which acted as an easy segue into a new conversation. It happened to be a skill she learned while on the job and relied on in discussions with peers, interviewees, and friends alike. Cullen nodded, agreeing with her assessment. He loved discussing questions and critiques of Andrastianism because he found those discussions with students to be the most fascinating, as an Andrastian himself.

“You know how I am. I love debating the philosophies behind Andrastianism and question my students’ convictions in their beliefs. I believe in substantive argumentation and open exchange of discussions, otherwise-”

“-The potential for intellectual growth and transformative discussion becomes banal and meaningless when the intention of academia should be to mold the new generation of great thinkers?” Kass hummed, finishing his thought mid-sentence. She plucked a roll from the breadbasket and admired the roundness of it before taking a bite. She delightedly chuckled when Cullen looked dumbfounded. She might’ve heard him reference the discussion point several times before, which is how she committed it to memory. 

“This is the part where I realize I talk too much, and I let you talk,” Cullen groaned good-naturedly, and Kass laughed behind her hand, trying not to ungracefully lose the bite of bread she took. She swallowed before Cullen continued, not wanting her to choke. “So, tell me about your work. Any interesting interviews coming up?”

“Cullen, you know I can’t tell you that,” Kass replied, unable to keep her eyes from twinkling. As much as she would love to share all the big stories she worked on or interviews she had lined up for herself or where she interviewed others, she took her contractual obligations quite seriously. That meant keeping mum about the exciting opportunities because she never knew when spilling secrets might come back to haunt her.

“Not even a hint?” Cullen pressed lightly, sparring with her like one of her guests might but his intentions were completely and conformingly benign. She couldn’t say the same about the lords or elected officials she spoke with on her show.

“Not even a hint,” Kass confirmed, solemnly nodding. But she leaned in close and glanced around to make sure no one else intended to eavesdrop on their conversation. She could never be too careful about someone deciding to be nosy and not mind their own business—and that was coming from the journalist, whose job description involved “sticking her nose where it shouldn’t be.” She whispered, “What I can tell you is that I have a magazine spread in Theodosian Insider should be releasing by the end of the week.”

“I sometimes forget that you are a bona fide celebrity, Kass. It gets quite harrowing when colleagues of mine prod me for information about you and your personal life. I have to beat some off with a stick when they start asking about if you’re single or looking for anyone.” Cullen chuckled, painting the mental image of him as a white knight and pushing back a sea of amorous suitors with only a stick. Hearing him discuss her dating status, Kass remembered what she came here for, and it wasn’t solely to see Cullen’s face. She had that little favor to ask of him.

“Alright, as much as I love talking about work, I came here for something more important,” Kass declared, finishing off her bread. She retracted her hand from grabbing another, recognizing that she was stalling. Cullen’s eyes watched her sigh, bite on her lower lip, and shake her head all within seconds of each other. She glanced up at him, meeting his eyes, “So, you remember when I was dating Sebastian, and I tried to get him to accompany me on my annual family vacation, which he refused to do?”

“Yeah. I remember that.” Cullen stiffly replied, his eyes flickering with anger. Out of everyone who witnessed the split between Kass and Sebastian, Cullen ranked among the most unforgiving of Sebastian. Kass hoped that Sebastian never ran into Cullen or her brothers in a dark alley somewhere. As her best friend, he adopted all the outrage when she felt too exhausted or emotionally drained to carry it alone. She always had the distinct impression that Sebastian and Cullen hated each other when things were going good between her and Sebastian, but she could never officially prove that suspicion.

“Well, about that- My mother ambushed me with some staggering information about him the other day. Apparently, his family decided to book a month-long vacation at the resort at the same time as us. The whole Vael family plans to show up, and Sebastian, who refused to go with me for all those years, is bringing his new fiancée.” Kass informed, and she watched Cullen’s face darken. If she thought he seemed enraged on her behalf before, that barely held a candle to the murderous glare he donned.

Cullen felt livid. Sebastian seemed like the kind of slimy dirtbag that might pull something like this and likely at the behest of his family. Kass didn’t deserve to deal with the salt in the wound, the spit in the face that was Sebastian having moved on already and flaunting a fiancée in front of her. It had been a year or less since they split, and Sebastian hardly showed a sense of remorse by snagging a new girl and slapping a ring on her when he dragged his feet with Kass.

“Are you kidding? God, he is such an entitled prick. Are you okay with this?” Cullen growled, torn between concern for Kass and utterly detesting Sebastian Vael. He remembered the fall out of their explosive breakup. Cullen was the one Kass turned to, and she crashed out at his place when she needed somewhere to stay, sleeping in his bed while he used the couch. He was there to help her pack up her things, and he was there when she unpacked her new place. He was the one that she leaned on until she could stand on her own, bouncing back stronger than before Sebastian dared to hurt her. No love lost between him and Sebastian, Cullen hated him more on the principle of what he did to Kass, but their past interactions left more to be desired between a boyfriend and the best friend.

“Yeah, and I was hoping I could ask a favor of you?” Kass hesitantly slipped it out that she needed a favor and would ask it should Cullen okay it.

“Kass, you know you can ask me anything.” Cullen reminded, reaching out and patting her hand sympathetically. Over the years, she completed so many favors or last-minute saves for him, and he owed her quite a lot. She helped him land his current job for Maker’s sake. Whatever she needed would be handled, and that was a promise. One undeniable thing about Rutherfords that Cullen’s father demanded of them before he passed: they were men or women of their word. 

“I feel like this might test the limit of what I can ask,” Kass mumbled, and Cullen nearly missed it, furrowing his brow. She seemed quite…conflicted. He hadn’t seen her so distraught when asking a favor before. Kass swallowed thickly, “Cullen, my family wants me to bring someone to pretend to be my new beau, and you are their first choice—mine too, honestly. So, want to be my fake boyfriend for a month over the summer to stick it to my shit ex?”

“You’re serious?” Cullen choked on his tongue, reaching to paw at his chest and prepared to ask if she was pranking him. However, she wasn’t the type, and the look in her eyes screamed to take her seriously still.

“Deadly. Cullen, I really need this favor. All the expenses are paid for, and you’ll be off work since you don’t have summer classes offered this year. I will personally pay for someone to pet-sit Brutus, and he can stay over my place.” Kass pleaded, lacing her hands together with a grimace. She truly needed his help because a ‘no,’ although understandable, would force her back to square one. She didn’t want to get hitched to one of Alek’s accountant friends for the month and would much rather play pretend with Cullen, even with potential awkwardness. They were mistaken for a couple more than once, and therefore, they could pull this off. But she needed a yes before she got too ahead of herself.

“You said your family supports this?” Cullen questioned, wondering how an outlandish idea would captivate the intelligent Trevelyan clan. Unfortunately, he underestimated their pettiness rather than their intelligence. 

“My family is the one pushing it. I tried to tell them no, but none of them would really listen to the one dissenting voice at the table. I’ve been backed into a corner. I told them that I would ask you but that you were probably going to say no. If you don’t want to or can’t, I understand completely. We can forget this ever happened and move on.” Kass promised, hoping to smooth over the awkward proposal and reverse Cullen’s shocked reaction. “But if you can, I really need the help and would rather not turn to a practical stranger. So, can you help me with this huge favor and pull off the greatest scheme on Sebastian?”

“Okay. I’ll do it, only for you.” Cullen sighed, clearly nervous about what his agreement to this scheme entailed. His cheeks flushed when considering the possibility of how fake dating affection might work or how they would keep their stories straight. However, Kass needed his help, and he refused to fail her.

“Oh, Cullen! Thank you. I could kiss you right now,” Kass gasped, grabbing his hands with hers and squeezing them excitedly. Cullen felt his furrowed brow and anxious response ease when Kass visibly relaxed, the shadow of doubt lifting to reveal a sunny smile. Although Cullen might protests that he owed her and was evening the score between them, Kass believed the magnitude of this request placed her firmly in his debt.

“How could I deny my best friend in need? Besides, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to turn down a paid vacation, the chance to mess with that asshole Sebastian, and taking some time off will greatly please Mia. She’s been pestering me about how much I work.” Cullen nonchalantly explained, and Kass found his reasoning to be so selfless. At the mention of Mia, Cullen’s elder sister, Kassandra smiled widely. She met her twice before, and the two were fast friends, with Kass admiring the spunky blonde and Mia a proclaimed fan of Kass’s show.

“I should warn you now to pack for a month of clothing and whatever else you might want to bring along. I’ll make sure to send you all the information about flights, dates, and the packing list.” Kass remarked and figured all of that could be sorted out after they enjoyed their lunch, wanting to celebrate a successful mission in convincing Cullen to come to her aid. She winked at him across the table, “Oh, and don’t worry about all the arrangements. I’ll handle all of this. All you need is to bring yourself a sense of adventure and prepare for a month trip into the lap of luxury.”


	4. hot girl summer bummer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Trevelyans + Cullen arrive at the resort in Wycome, ready for a summer of fun in the sun. However, this tale wouldn't be complete without a little drama when some faces show up at the last minute.

Standing outside Kassandra’s apartment with Brutus, his mabari, on a leash and his suitcase packed for the month-long trip, Cullen exhaled out the nerves before knocking. He didn’t need to knock twice because the door opened, revealing Kass dolled up and ready to go.

“Hey! You made it just on time! And my favorite pup is here with you-” Kass cooed, immediately getting pounced on by Brutus, and the excited whimpers were reserved exclusively for Kassandra, who Cullen suspected that Brutus loved more than him. She made sure to lavish deserved attention on Brutus with scritches behind the ears and kisses to his forehead, sure to avoid his slobbery kisses in return.

She moved out of the doorway, allowing Brutus through and Cullen behind him. As Cullen stepped inside, the two met in a hug. Kass was tiny compared to Cullen. Her head resided somewhere around his chest region without heels, and Cullen spotted the glossy white pair to match her jumpsuit. She never went anywhere without dressing to the nines, it seemed.

“Need any help packing? I can help since I better get started on the good boyfriend behavior.” Cullen teased when pulling the furry dog bed from his luggage and tossed it at the foot of the couch. Brutus had been pet-sit by Kassandra before when Cullen would be away for an academic conference and spent time at her apartment. So, he would be in familiar enough surroundings. He kept Brutus on a leash, despite his pup’s insistence to roam freely around the apartment, knowing how he could get worked up enough to cause a bit of a mess.

“I have everything done already but thank you-” Kass smiled and gave him a little wink, seeing he was a natural at the boyfriend act already. She affixed her favorite pair of sunglasses with wide white rims and dark lenses atop her head. She looked like a movie star with how she dressed, and Cullen lamented that nothing in his closet would even come close in price tag to her. “You excited? Nervous?”

“Both?” Cullen offered, and she nodded, and he guessed that she might feel the same. She knew that he was doing her an immense, nerve-wracking favor, and she appreciated his help. Kassandra’s lips parted like she planned on saying something, but as small clatter from the kitchen interrupted the two of them, and the “I’m okay! Nothing broke!” alerted Cullen to the fact that he and Kass weren’t strictly alone. Kass shook her head and glanced in that direction.

“Mav, could you come here please? Cullen and Brutus arrived, and I want you to get acquainted with the best boy!” Kassandra instructed, and Cullen glanced up at the sound of footsteps, seeing a petite brunette with a kind smile and a noticeable facial scar appear through the kitchen door. He felt like he had seen her somewhere before or her name rang a bell.

“Oh!” She sheepishly exclaimed, taking in Cullen. They hadn’t met before, which seemed so strange to her—seeing as he was Kass’ best friend. “Hi, there! I’m Mavis, Mavis Cadash. You must be the Cullen I’ve heard so much about-” Mavis wiped her palms on her pants before holding her hand out to shake Cullen’s, which Cullen met in the middle. She heard plenty about him through Kass’s stories, and she would tease that her description hardly did him justice, but they had to get going to the airport.

“Mav is a good friend of mine. She’s house-sitting for me and will be watching over Brutus.” Kassandra explained, wanting to ease Cullen’s tendency to worry. Brutus would be well taken care of by Mavis, a sweetheart. She trusted her with her apartment and Brutus for the next month, and she didn’t feel that way about just anyone. 

“Nice to meet you, Mavis,” Cullen held out Brutus’ leash to Mavis, letting her take command of his mabari. He had his moments of being a little troublemaker but tended to lean on the side of well-behaved. “This here is Brutus, as I’m sure you heard and know. Don’t let the size intimate you because he’s actually the biggest softie. A gentle giant.”

Hearing his name, Brutus glanced up at Cullen with his tongue lolled out of his mouth before plopping unceremoniously on the ground, belly-up. He clearly wanted someone to lavish him with belly rubs.

“Mav is fine. I am excited to meet this good boy. Kass made sure I read up on the diligent regimen you sent for Brutus; I have it memorized. He’ll be in good hands.” Mavis promised, keeping a grip on Brutus’ leash while playing with the energized mabari. Brutus’ tail wagged a mile a minute while the belly rubs kept coming. Cullen couldn’t help the amused expression when observing his pup's blissed expression—he was sure that Brutus would be well taken care of.

“If Kass trusts someone, I tend to lean on her judgment. She tends to be a better judge of character than me.” A chuckle escaped Cullen, and he glanced over to Kass, whose head snapped up from adjusting the ankle strap of her ridiculously expensive heels. 

Kass quirked her brow yet couldn’t stop the smile pulling at her lips, “I would argue that isn’t always true, but I like the praise.” She mentioned as she sauntered past, giving a cheeky spin, and going to grab her bags. While he still had the time, Cullen knelt down, and Brutus bounded over to douse his owner in several slobbery kisses. Cullen sputtered and turned his head to the side, but Brutus refused to stop before he got a few extra licks in.

Kass returned with her sleek rolling suitcases with two bags precariously balanced against the angled handle. She grinned at the sight of Cullen and Brutus, a man and his mabari, saying their goodbyes. She snuck out her phone for a quick candid photo, hoping to sell the story that she and Cullen were more than friends with a bountiful photo album featuring him. Having pictures of the adorable Brutus in there was a bonus she’d happily accept.

Cullen glanced over and noticed that Kass returned with her bags, which meant they would be catching their private flight to the resort from Fereldan to Wycome. He stood up, ignoring Brutus’ gruff bark that he was leaving. Mavis noticed their prepared bags for their imminent departure, and she gave an eager salute.

“Before you go, I solemnly swear that I will do my best to not burn the house down,” Mavis promised with an innocent look, causing Kass to stifle a choked laugh. She hoped not- she paid a hefty sum for rent. She had outlawed any science experiments on the premise of her apartment or the building—the last thing she needed was any fees to pay for damages. She pushed her purse higher up on her shoulder and looked at Cullen, still kneeling.

“Shall we?” Kass extended her arm to him, grabbing her suitcase’s handle. Cullen swept up the extra duffle bag from him and the two bags from her suitcase before taking her arm. He nodded, taking in a deep breath. He was as ready as he would ever be for this month-long fake dating extravaganza.

“Let’s go.”

* * *

The flight to Wycome passed in a blink, and Cullen figured that might have to do with the luxury service from the in-flight crew and the flight's smoothness. No turbulence in sight or bumps from take-off to landing. He and Kass split a bottle of wine that easily amounted to a third of his annual salary. Kass mused that they needed it for the month-long adventure they would endure and the expectation that the Vaels would find themselves unable to mind their own business throughout the trip.

Cullen expected little decorum, and he knew of the Vaels’ reputation, especially their dislike of anyone too below their station. He, a college professor, likely qualified for that category. However, no amount of shit flung at him would stop him from standing with Kass.

The plane’s stairs descended onto the private airport's tarmac as Kass appeared in the open door of the small charter plane, sunglasses perched on her nose and glowing under the warm Wycome sun. Summer suited the coastal town, located on the Amaranthine coastline, and their resort was conveniently built on the beach. That meant sun, white sands, and crystal blue waters for them to enjoy all month long.

Cullen walked up behind her, glancing over her shoulder out to the tarmac. Parked in wait, a sleek black limo awaited them, and the Trevelyan family stood around the parked limo for standard greetings.

“Looks like everyone arrived before us. Hope you’re ready for the welcoming committee-” Kass sarcastically remarked while she pushed down her sunglasses and watched the heat wafting from the dark concrete runway.

Cullen patted her shoulder and laughed, “I think I’m prepared. Besides, I kind of like your family.” He watched Kass pretend to gag, knowing full well that she adored her family and she had a close relationship with them but disembark down the stairs anyway. She insisted on carrying her bags, most of them, so she felt like she hadn’t heaped all the responsibility onto Cullen.

The two of them got off the plane and walked across the open space, approaching the limo. Theo noticed them first, giving a whistle and a wave. That drew the entire Trevelyan clan's attention onto their beloved daughter and her “date” in Cullen. Her family was all smiles when seeing Cullen by her side, having gotten news that she got someone to agree to come.

“Hey, what’s up, man?” Theo went first in the greetings, Alek not far behind him, and engulfed Cullen in a quick hug and pat. Of all the other Trevelyans, Cullen felt that he got along best with Theo since he and Kass were the closest of the siblings. That and Theo felt extremely down-to-earth with the luxury of the Trevelyan name not as big of a deal as he could make it.

“Ah, not much. Just prepared for an interesting month.” Cullen mused to a chorus of chuckles from the brothers, moving onto Alek. Alek gave him another hug, shorter than Theo’s. Kass was getting swung around in a crushing bear hug by her older brother, and their eldest brother soon followed to sandwich Kass between them to her annoyed cursing.

Cullen moved forward with his hand outstretched to meet with Hugo and Aurora. He shook Hugo’s hand, “A pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Trevelyan. Thank you for including me on this tradition of yours.”

“Cullen consider it no trouble. Your presence is a welcome one.” Hugo assured him with a hearty pat on the back, displaying the confident strength that all the Trevelyans seemed to possess in quantity. The fire in his blue eyes felt familiar, probably because Kass had the same one while she was on-air.

With a nod from Hugo and him passing by to greet Kass, Cullen approached the last of the Trevelyans: Aurora. He offered her a warm smile in greeting and marveled about how alike Kass and her mother were. Their physical characteristics were striking, dead-ringers for one another. Dark hair, wide expressive eyes, full lips, high cheekbones—Kass could’ve followed in her mother’s footsteps and become a model and actress if she hadn’t been such a savvy political mind.

“By the maker, thank you for joining us, Cullen. I’m sure Kassandra informed you of the circumstances?” Aurora greeted, gauging how much Cullen knew. She remembered that Kass nearly threw a fit and swore to the Maker that Cullen would likely refuse to come. She knew that her daughter was persuasive when she wanted to be (which happened to be most of the time) and wondered how she convinced her friend for this audacious favor.

“She has indeed, ma’am,” Cullen confirmed, much to her surprise. She tempered her reaction behind a mutely polite smile.

“Then, we are grateful for your help.” Aurora grasped his hands and shook them, looking at the handsome man her daughter called her best friend. She always did raise Kassandra to have good taste—and she felt pleased with the choice. She put on the smile that launched a thousand photoshoots and her long-lived modeling career. “And Cullen, dear, please call me Aurora. You’re quite important to my daughter.”

“Mom-” Kassandra groaned, feeling embarrassed. Her protests were met with a calming wave from her mother, and the Trevelyans plus Cullen regrouped to load the luggage into the trunk. Cullen and Theo were assisted by the drivers while the others piled into the car at Aurora's direction, who would be keen on optics for their stay. They never knew when paparazzi were afoot, and they needed to be on their best presentation.

With the bags all stowed away, Theo and Cullen slipped into the limo. The driver checked the review mirror and sped safely off the tarmac, heading out of the private airport for the main road. Their path would cruise down the idyllic Wycome coastline and be approximately twenty minutes or so before they reached the resort: The Sea Rose Spa and Resort. The car felt filled to the brim with excitement from the Trevelyan siblings—spending their summers in Wycome started in their early teen and pre-teen years. A time-honored tradition to where the staff knew them by name, and they never seemed to run out of new things to try and experience.

Cullen's addition didn’t even feel awkward or out of place, especially since the Trevelyans approved Kass’s addition. The car ride hardly felt like twenty minutes, blurred by the mixing of conversations to where no one remembered how they started. Everything slowed when the driver pulled to a stop under the gleaming, silvery building’s porte-cochère that Cullen assumed was the resort.

“Good day, and many greetings to you!” A bellhop cheered at the Trevelyans when they exited the limo. The driver got out and placed all the luggage on a golden cart, and the bellhop followed behind the Trevelyan clan as they entered the building.

Cullen, experiencing the resort for the first time, gawked at the architecture. The resort was all marble flooring, smooth rotunda walls of soft creams, a golden dome hanging above them, and a giant fountain built in the _middle_ of the room. This place called him poor in seven different ways, and that was simply from entering the lobby. He knew that he could never afford a stay in a place like this for a week, let alone a month.

“You didn’t tell me that the place was this nice.” He whispered to Kass, who turned to him, but she was interrupted before she even began by her father. Hugo strode to the front of the group with Aurora latched onto his arm.

“Your mother and I will check the group in. The four of you stay in the general area.” Hugo instructed to nods from his three children and Cullen. He and Aurora strolled toward the front desk with the poor bellhop pushing along their luggage, deserving of several tips. The four younger adults glanced around their surroundings and at each other, planning on following instructions. However, the best-laid plans didn’t always work out. It ended up that Theo’s wandering eyes spotted a room with colorful glass in the windows and squinted to make out what appeared to be the resort’s gift shop.

“Ooh, a gift shop!” Theo exclaimed, and when the others turned to see what he spoke of, they noticed that Theo was halfway across the lobby already. Alek choked on a cough; did Theo never follow instructions?

“Theo, get back here. You don’t need more useless knickknacks.” Alek whispered commandingly, going to chase after his brother. That left Cullen and Kass alone, standing by the fountain centered in the middle of the room. Kass turned to Cullen with a wry smile and laughter in her eyes.

“It’s not too late to turn back now,” She offered, but he knew that she wasn’t going to run from this. She made a promise, and her promises were binding to her. Kassandra Trevelyan was no coward, and she never turned, tucked tail, and ran from things she dreaded. Often, she faced them head-on-

“We’ll stick this out,” Cullen remarked and gave her a quick up-and-down glance, noticing they weren’t acting like a pair of lovebirds instead of friends. He leaned in and asked, “Shouldn’t we be acting more like a couple from now on?”

Kass nodded, “Right, put your arm around my waist or something.” She suggested, and Cullen slipped his arm behind her back to rest comfortably around her waist. However, what if they went a step further. With a flick of his wrist, Cullen managed to spin Kass into him. A surprised gasp escaped her lips when she ended with her hands pressed against his chest, his arm still hooked around her waist, and their faces close enough to question the relationship as more than platonic. They knew that past experience showed that they were close enough to where people speculated on their own about what Kass and Cullen were. Friends? Bonded like siblings? Romantically interested? They never got an answer.

“Like this?” He asked, knowing damn well that this went beyond what she meant, but it wouldn’t be Cullen if he didn’t go the extra mile. He loved to be precise.

“Do you want points for being so smooth or something?” Kass questioned, biting down on her lower lip to silence a laugh. Any outsider would see that and assume the conversation was lovers exchanging sweet nothing and not two best friends playing the greatest con on a shitty ex. 

Cullen’s eyes twinkled with dare Kass describe it as a mischievous gleam, “You know I love a good, old-fashioned competition.” He declared, describing the two of them. Competitive nature ran in their blood, with Kass slightly more competitive than he. It made them an unstoppable team.

“Ah yes, like the chess matches I keep beating you in.” Kass helpfully reminded him with a smirk taking over. Cullen chuckled; that was a bit of a sore spot for him. A low blow, yet effective.

“I’ll get you one of these days. Please tell me you brought a board.” Cullen placed his hand over his heart, pretending to act wounded. His antics drew a smile onto Kass’s face, one that crinkled the corners of her eyes and made the blue hue brighter.

“Maybe so-” Kass whispered, and that wasn’t a no, which Cullen would gladly hold hope for. He did love a good chess game, even when Kass pulled a narrow victory at the end. The two of them were so wrapped up in their hushed conversation that they missed the double doors pushing open and a wickedly warm breeze introducing trouble.

“Kassandra?” Her name echoed off the rotunda’s shining walls, and not even the Maker could stop the disastrous events about to unfold. Kass tensed, as did Cullen, and the two of them glanced to their right. Standing in the doorway was none other than Sebastian Vael, with a brunette on his arm and his eyes narrowed when taking in Cullen’s hands gripping at Kass’s waist.

“Sebastian.”


	5. showdown of the century- the battle of the brunettes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ex has arrived at the resort and Kassandra finds that the sight of him and his new girl strikes a particular nerve with her. Thus begins the competition between the one that got away and the woman who might've stolen it all versus Kass and Cullen. (ft. there was only one bed)

The disjointed, awkward greetings hung in the air longer than anticipated, but the exes were adjusting to seeing each other since their split. From Kassandra’s view, Sebastian hadn’t changed. He still had the slicked back auburn hair, tanned skin, and piercing eyes that she once believed to hold the whole world in the depths of their blue. As for Kassandra, Sebastian would marvel that she had changed somewhat. Once kept at a manageable shoulder length, her hair reached around her back and embraced the natural curl instead of the straightening treatment she did every six months. She seemed more toned in her arms like she had been training.

However, her beauty didn’t fade in the slightest.

Sebastian and his new woman approached, letting Kassandra study her. Her brows arched, recognizing the woman on her exes’ arm as none other than Gabriella Hawke. Gabriella came from a notable family of new money status, exploding into the social scene fairly recently with their wealth. Gabriella seemed the only member of her family actively disinterested with her status and shunning the limelight for a more hermetic existence.

It seemed Gabriella recognized Kass in return, narrowing her rich brown eyes and scowling at her. Kass resisted the urge to scowl back, but she wanted to be above all this ridiculousness and get through the month without losing it.

Kass crossed her arms over her chest and couldn’t believe the audacity of him and his family to ruin the special tradition belonging to her and her family for years. “So, where’s your family? I assume they’ve decided to come this year.” 

“They’ll be arriving later this evening,” Sebastian informed aloofly, earning a noticeable nudge from Gabriella as she linked their arms. Sebastian understood what she wanted and cleared his throat, “Kassandra, Mr. Rutherford, this is Gabi Hawke—my fiancée.”

“We’ve met before,” Kass declared. This much was true as Varric, one of Kass’s closest friends and bestselling author, had introduced him during one of his infamous parties. Kass came as a guest of him and his wife and met Gabi for the first time. While she acted politely, Gabi gave her the distinct impression that she didn’t like her.

Before, Kass would’ve let it go, but she danced with the decision to make it a mutual dislike and leave it like that. She was the ex, and Gabi was the rebound that came in with suspicious timing, meaning they wouldn’t see eye to eye. Sebastian looked at Gabi, who nodded to confirm what Kass shared as true, and he nodded.

No love lost then.

He then turned his attention over to Cullen, who he had met plenty of times before, and he assumed that Cullen came at the behest of Kass’s parents or Kass herself. He supposed that they were allowing anyone to come onto the trip as a change from the exclusive perks of the significant others of the three Trevelyan children.

“Mr. Rutherford, what a surprise to see you here? What brings you along on this holiday? I would assume you had papers to grade or something.” Sebastian sniffed and, while the title of “Mr. Rutherford” might seem polite given the circumstances, it was not a gesture of respect. Sebastian and Cullen always had a weird sort of tension, even while Sebastian and Kass were going strong as an item.

Cullen cleared his throat, managing to keep himself composed for the moment. Sebastian was a smarmy bastard who stared down from his ivory tower in judgment at those he thought lesser than him. He never liked Sebastian to begin with, but he held his tongue for the better part of two years. “I don’t teach summer classes. Besides, I wouldn’t miss such an important milestone in Kass’s and I’s relationship. Getting invited to this trip is important. I’m sure you remember that-”

“Relationship?” Sebastian questioned, sounding somewhat perplexed by choice in wording. He blinked twice, shaking his head. “Your friendship?”

“Oh no- See, Cullen and I are together.” Kass clarified, and she pretended to feel utterly lovesick when mentioning it. She keenly fixated on Sebastian’s reaction. She never realized how she wanted this for herself and to watch Sebastian become the fool that he tried to make her. “Isn’t that right, dear?”

“It sure is, honey.” Cullen grinned, turning to face Kass, and she took that as her cue to sell the story with a little showmanship. Not waiting, Kass wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and he caught the gist of what she planned. Kass let her mind wander and not get too tripped up over, realizing that she was about to kiss her best friend.

Cullen surprisingly took the lead, surprising even her with a passionate kiss. He connected their lips, encircled his arms around her, and let himself go wild. He felt Kass melt into his arms and a muffled giggle against his lips, more intended for their audience than him, encouraged him to part from the kiss with a teasing bite to finish. Kass and Cullen broke into light laughter, doing it to hide their awkwardness at the reminder that they publicly made out with their best friend and how they went for it.

The kiss did as it needed and garnered Sebastian’s full attention, as he found himself unable to look away from the embrace. 

“Ah, I see-” The tightness of Sebastian’s voice was unmistakable to Kass’s ear, and she knew: he was jealous. He had no right to be, especially considering the fiancée on his arm that he brought to somewhere he knew she would be. Kass didn’t like to play games or lean on pettiness, but she couldn’t deny that the urge existed to slam back. Sebastian smashed her heart into smithereens that she expected him to protect, and forgiveness came as a tough pill for her to swallow.

“Yes, I can’t imagine being without him. Speaking of that, I heard about your engagement. Congratulations.” She mentioned, gesturing to the massive sparkling diamond sitting on Gabi’s ring finger. She plastered on a honeyed smile and clung to Cullen’s arm. “I don’t think we can question the intentions of the Maker when showing us what we needed. His timing is always right, and I know I abide by it.”

Cullen’s arm snaked around Kass’s waist and gave her a warning squeeze, keeping her from getting a little too petty or surly with her ex. Although he knew Sebastian deserved it, causing a scene in the hotel lobby would get the vacation off to a rough start. Sebastian narrowed his eyes but said nothing about her pointed remark.

He saw that her tongue was as sharp as he remembered it to be. That and her wit was exacting and poised to harm like a weapon.

Before the exes and their new significant others could start squabbling, the other Trevelyans returned and noticed the arrival of their least favorite Vael. Sebastian backed down, and Gabi followed his lead, faced with hostile glares.

“Sebastian Vael,” Theo mused, looking him up and down. Sebastian was by no means short, but Theo eclipsed him in height. He gruffly snorted when seeing the asshole that broke his sister’s heart, wanting to punch him in that smug face of his. He managed a sneer, “I would say long time no see, but it isn’t long enough.”

The sting of the words registered to Sebastian, who bristled. Gabi seemed increasingly angry with the snide remarks thrown at Sebastian, but she had no business in the animosity between the Trevelyans and the Vaels. She, along with Sebastian, held their tongues.

“Let’s go. We have things to do,” Aurora demanded, and the Trevelyan party walked away without further to do. Kassandra found herself the last one to turn on her heel, tossing the last glare Sebastian’s way and sauntering off. She felt his eyes trailing behind her, and that’s where they could stay.

Hugo handed Kass and Cullen two small envelopes holding their room keys as they reached the bellhop, patiently waiting at the elevator with their luggage. Kass nodded thankfully, and she pocketed hers into her purse while Cullen held his in hand.

The Trevelyans took the first elevators up to their designated floor, the tenth, and walked down the hall together. Hugo and Aurora were the first to branch off, having gotten a room close to the elevators and across the hall from their children’s. They offloaded their bags, and Cullen decided to grab his and Kassandra’s while they stopped.

He and Kass walked together further down the hall, hearing Theo and Alek trailing behind them with faint snippets of conversation floating forward enough. Capitalizing on the silence before the awkward encounter in the lobby left their minds, Cullen leaned over and whispered to Kass, “The kiss wasn’t too bad, was it?”

“What? No! It worked well, very convincing- and good too. Where did you learn to kiss like that, Rutherford?” Cullen felt his face heat up, and he probably looked bright red from the teasing inquiry. Kass asked in her journalist's voice, and Cullen laughed to diffuse his embarrassment.

“Hey, I’ve dated once or twice.” He mentioned, giving Kass a nudge with his shoulder. He used to have a life before work. He swore on the Maker. But he preferred a more hermetic approach—where some might call him a “workaholic.”

Kass’s eyes twinkled as they reached their door, noticing Alek and Theo doing the same a few doors down. “Lucky gals.” She mentioned.

Cullen unlocked the door for the two of them, and they headed inside, taking stock of their magnificent suite. They entered a gorgeous living room with a balcony overlooking the resort and the ocean next door. They had a small kitchenette, extra bathrooms, a spacious living room that led into the bedroom.

They planned on unpacking their things, spending some downtime in the room, and then Kass would take Cullen on a grand tour of the place—plus all the activities they wanted to try while there. Kass pushed open the door to the bedroom, and she felt her smile falter when passing through. Beside her, Cullen likely had the same expression when seeing what she saw.

Uh, they had a slight problem.

There was only one bed.

Staring at the single, king-sized bed in the suite's bedroom, Cullen and Kass were at a slight loss for words. They glanced at each other, and Cullen scooped down to pick up his bag. He rubbed at the back of his neck, “So, that’s some surprise. I can take the couch, and you take the bed?”

Before he made a move to leave, Kass caught Cullen’s arm and held him in place. She shook her head. She refused to relegate him to the couch for the entire vacation or let him think she was some pampered princess over a bed.

“We can switch,” Kass decided, crossing her arms over her chest. The one bed wasn’t ideal, but she suspected an honest mistake during the booking process. They would adapt. “Every other night, we’ll switch who sleeps in the bed and who sleeps on the couch. That’s the fairest method.”

Cullen raised his brow at her. It wasn’t about fairness, nor did it need to be. He was the tag-along for the trip and would take the couch in the living room. He would be fine. She should have the bed. “No. There’s no way in the name of the Maker I’m letting you sleep on the couch. I promise it’s not an issue.”

“And I refuse to let you sleep on the couch for the month. Don’t be ridiculous now!” Kass protested to Cullen’s back, and she stomped her foot. He was all chivalrous, but she knew he had back problems from spending most of his days hunched over papers or his laptop. She was looking out for his health. “Cullen Stanton Rutherford, don’t you dare walk out of this room.”

“Oh, so we’re breaking out the full names now?” Cullen remarked, biting back a chuckle, and turned around to face Kass. She flared her nostrils at him, signaling that she said what she said. Cullen clicked his tongue, “Kassandra Divina Ariella Trevelyan, stop being as stubborn as a druffalo and let me take the damn couch.”

“I’m the druffalo? That’s rich coming from you-” Kass gasped with mild offense, nearly going to throw one of the pillows at him. She figured that he would catch it and put it on the couch. “I’m going to settle this. We should share the bed because we’d sooner agree with sharing the bed than figuring out who gets the couch.”

A deadlocked silence ensued as Kass jumped onto the bed and made a point to stare at Cullen firmly until one of them broke. The task was harder than it appeared, especially since the softness of the mattress was delightful. She had back problems as well, but for different reasons-

“Fine,” Cullen conceded, tossing his bag down at the foot of the dresser where they would unpack their clothes and other belongings. He approached the edge of the bed, staring at Kass. “We can just make a pillow divider between us.”

“On second thought, I think we made the right decision. The couch doesn’t look comfortable.” Kass remarked, turning her head to see Cullen experimentally flop on the bed beside her. His face washed over in bliss as he sank into the mattress, feeling his back release compounded tension centered in his shoulders down to his hips.

After a moment of quiet where he and Kass soaked in the softness of their shared bed, Cullen nodded, “Agreed.”


	6. let the jealousy games begin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The green-eyed monster seems to be lurking as everywhere Kass turns, Sebastian is there. Not even breakfast with Cullen, her new "beau", seems rife with the opportunity for conflict, trouble, and stoking the fire of jealousy between exes on bitter terms.

Sunlight gently trickled through the high windows of Kass and Cullen’s shared hotel room and roused the two from their deep sleep. Cullen grunted and rolled onto his other side while Kass yawned and stretched out like a cat with her eyes closed. Both bumped into the soft barrier erected between them out of spare pillows, reminding them of their little compromise.

A small price to pay for sharing a bed so they could have a better sleep.

“G’morning,” Cullen greeted first, rubbing his eyes using the back of his hand and groaning as he adjusted to the brightness of the room. He lifted himself to glance over the barrier and caught a glimpse of Kass with her hair all tangled like a wild lion’s mane and fresh-faced. He rarely saw her without makeup because of the constant paparazzi presence, but he humbly thought she looked just as great without any on. But what did he know?

“Morning Cullen,” Kass replied, giving a tired smile as she came to. She fully sat up on her side of the bed and pulled her hair back into the scrunchie on her wrist. She vaguely recalled returning it to her wrist at some point during the night. “How’d you sleep?”

Cullen couldn’t help the small smile as he thought about not remembering when he fell asleep. “That- was the best sleep of my life. No awkward back pain, no mabari suffocating me half to death or slobbering on me until I woke up, no alarm interrupting me.”

“Ah, isn’t that the life? No work to go to, no responsibilities.” Kass mused, inhaling audibly. As much as she loved her work, she looked forward to this vacation every year. The circumstances were different, undoubtedly, but she refused to let anyone ruin this for her. This vacation lasted longer than her and Sebastian’s relationship, and it would stay until their union became a forgotten memory.

Cullen chuckled. While a life free of worries sounded amazing, he knew that neither of them would be fully satisfied with such an ‘idyllic’ lifestyle. He found meaning in his work, and Kass’s intellect would be a gift squandered with them wasting idle time.

Further conversation ended when Kass’s stomach roared in undeniable hunger, earning laughter from Cullen and a smack of Kass's pillow. He winked at her, “Breakfast, I know.”

The two quietly got out of bed, intending to get semi-dressed for breakfast, seeing as they were starving. Cullen let Kass take the bathroom first to freshen up, figuring he would use the other bathroom for the living room. They didn’t dress up fancy for their excursion to the restaurants, opting for the most popular restaurant outside. It had an all-you-could-eat breakfast buffet with a view of the beaches and directly beside the pools, so scenic and good food.

A short elevator ride down and walk across the busy lobby saw them at the restaurant, in view of the cerulean waves crashing down on the white-sand shores. All in all, Cullen knew it could be worse than him coming along to a paid vacation with his best friend for the small price of sharing fake kisses with her… if he even considered that a detraction-

“Maker, they have an omelet bar!” Kass exclaimed, making a beeline for the food, and pulling Cullen along behind her. He humored her excitement, and the two piled their plates with various foods from the different stations. Although thinking he wasn’t hungry before, Cullen seemed ready to change his mind with how much he grabbed.

When Kass fixed him an incredulous look, all he could say was, “I’m a growing boy.” That elicited a playful rolling of eyes from Kass before they picked out a small little table with four chairs. Cullen pulled out Kass’s chair for her and gave her the most gentlemanly grin. Even though they were pretending to date, Cullen made small gestures of respect for her regularly and hardly felt out of place.

It helped them rationalize their actions and reactions as “significant others,” meaning they leaned on the idea that they would act as they normally did with the added shows of kissing and hand-holding. Worst case scenario would mean that they would lie and say that PDA makes them uncomfortable, and that’s why they never did it, or maybe that’s how they evaded tabloid notice for so long.

The blissful silence the two indulged in as they ate their breakfast and made sparse small talk ended unfortunately quickly with the sound of footsteps rushing toward them and the twin calls of “Kassie!” that indicated Alek and Theo found them. Kass barely sighed out before she found herself sandwiched in a hug between her older brothers, purposely done to annoy her.

“Morning, you two,” Cullen greeted, trying not to laugh as he shoveled egg into his mouth because he would choke. The two Trevelyan brothers glanced up from annoying their sister to see Cullen there too.

“Hey Cullen,” Theo waved, taking an open chair while Alek accepted the last remaining one of the four-seat table. He grinned brightly, “Hopefully, on behalf of Alek and I, our beloved sister hasn’t annoyed you too much. She can be a handful, I know.”

Kass glanced up from her toast, holding her butter knife with a dangerous slant that would make it a threat. She narrowed her eyes, “Watch it Theo before I decide my butter knife would look better in your hand than a butter dish.”

Theo yelped and leaned away, slightly hiding behind Alek. Alek rolled his eyes and smacked his brother lightly because he was a little chicken, glancing between Kass and Cullen. “So, have you two decided what you guys want to do? We’ve barely seen you around beyond meals.”

Before either could answer, their little posse noticed Aurora and Hugo walking up from the pool area with interlocked hands and smiling about something. Kass would’ve recognized her mom anywhere with her dramatic hat to shield from the sun and her wide-rimmed glasses. Her parents gracefully arrived at their table, all smiles as they grabbed chairs of their own and added them to sit with their children and Cullen.

“The farmer’s market is back this year! It’s quite lovely.” Aurora mused, giving all her children kisses on their heads. She would greet them that way, no matter how old they were. Kass held back a sigh when she realized her peaceful breakfast with Cullen was getting hijacked. She should’ve expected as much, but nothing she could do about it.

“I’m sure it is.” Kass nodded, biting into her toast. Her eyes wandered across the deck where other couples and families were sharing breakfast together, everyone appearing happy and carefree. She would be like that too until she received the unfortunate reminder of her ex-boyfriend on the premises.

If the Maker was into practical jokes, then he seemed on a roll.

Kass couldn’t help the pronounced eye roll when she spotted the Vael family entering the restaurant and choosing a table within line of sight of her and her family’s table. She knew what that meant: spying. Their entire reasoning for crashing the trip was to leech of her ‘misery’ at Sebastian’s new romantic entanglement and the anger of her family for their sadistic pleasure, which she refused to give to them.

Her family noticed the reaction and followed her line of sight to spot the Vaels putting on an exaggerated show for the tables around them. Their family was never that close or enjoyed each other’s company that much for it to be a ruse. Kass heard a scoff come from Aurora, knowing her mother’s propensity for idle gossip, and proactively tuned the table out. She would rather not waste her breath on any of the Vaels.

Biting into her breakfast, Kass resumed her bored people-watching and let her mind wander aimlessly without consequence. She unintentionally ended up sweeping her eyes around where the Vaels were seated and witnessed an eyebrow-raising sight. It was Gabi wrapping her arms around Sebastian’s shoulders and leaning in, pressing an extended kiss to his cheek. Kass expected Sebastian to return the affection, but he seemed to be focused on something else. His eyes were far-off, gazing into the distance and at, instead of Gabi, they were-

_They were on her._

Kass averted her gaze, breaking the connection unrepentantly. She, feeling a jolt of discomforting anxiety when realizing that Sebastian was staring at her. That reaction made her concerned, and she wanted it to stop. So she, not knowing what else to do, gently hooked her fingers around Cullen’s chin to turn him toward her. His eyes lit up when seeing her, and she gave him a soft smile before pulling him into a lazy, comfortable kiss. She took command, and Cullen, bless his heart, let her do it.

“So, you haven’t answered the question,” Theo glanced over at Kass and Cullen, reminding them that their plans were hanging up in the air. “What are you and Cullen going to do today? We have tennis, golf, going into town, hotel excursions—anything really. Cullen deserves the full-experience!”

“Yes, you two should do something. Your mother and I are going back into town after breakfast since we have appointments. If I remember correctly, your brothers were thinking about hitting the beach?” Hugo mentioned, getting confirming nods from Theo and Alek. All eyes were on Kass as Cullen conveniently took a drink of his coffee. Kass sighed, knowing she couldn’t avoid it and would need to give a non-answer.

“Truthfully, Cullen and I didn’t have any plans beyond relaxing in the room and were probably going to wing it.” A chorus of boos came from her brothers, who she silenced with a glare. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the ability to laze around the hotel for the first few days. It was only day three with plenty of time to explore and do what they wanted still.

“Even on vacation, you are such a homebody,” Alek teased Kass, leaning back in his chair and staring out to the beach. Kass stifled a frown as she finished her plate of food, feeling full and satisfied, knowing that the food would be charged to her room. Alek clasped his hands behind his head after putting his sunglasses on, “We didn’t come on vacation for you to laze around the hotel room, shuttered away! You two should do something, whether at the hotel or finding entertainment out in the town. At the least, you should enjoy the pool with a book and a beverage.”

“Honestly, I think the beach would be a good excursion. Sunshine, walking in the sand, maybe some beach sports could be good for us to let out some steam and enjoy ourselves without worrying too much about unwanted visitors.” Cullen chimed in with his opinion, coming to the rescue. The conversation shifted with Theo excitedly suggesting that they play some volleyball then, and Cullen went along with it. He and Kass exchanged looks, and they supposed that they could try that.

Kass would agree that finding a reason for distraction would make the vacation feel much more normal to her. Plus, getting a little sun would be so nice as long as she didn’t let herself burn.

From their table across the deck, the Vaels were painfully aware of the Trevelyan clan. When they arrived at the hotel, Gabi tearfully recalled the encounter with Kassandra and her family in the resort's lobby, and ever since, Sebastian had seemed in a daze.

He earned himself a lecture about why they were there and how he needed to get ahold of himself instead of looking like a forlorn little boy torn up about Kass slipping from his grasp. Although Sebastian truly didn’t know why they were there. His parents were gloating with glee when he proposed to Gabi so soon after their courtship, declaring that he made the right decision to follow their instructions. But every so often, Sebastian questioned himself. All roads of questioning led back to Kassandra, who was apparently with someone else-

Someone he suspected as a threat since long before the split, and that, Sebastian feared, was what killed him the most.

“Sebastian,” His mother’s stern tone snapped him out of the disinterested prodding of his breakfast and he looked up, seeing all eyes on him. His family and Gabi witnessed an eyeful of Kass and Cullen’s affection, which appeared much happier and frequent than his and Gabi’s. That could not stand, nor could the idea that the Trevelyan clan became indifferent to their presence. It needled at them to think that the Trevelyans thought themselves the winner of the split. They engaged their son to another heiress with status only able to grow. Meanwhile, the Trevelyan daughter was cavorting with some university teacher like that was some great, meaningful match befitting of her station. Reginald and Celeste Vael never thought that Kassandra was an appropriate match for their son, not a good enough one, but they balked at the idea that she would choose some nobody as her son’s superior.

Sebastian cleared his throat, adjusting himself in his seat, “Yes, mother?”

“You and I shall take a walk, have a chat with the Trevelyans,” Celeste declared, and she daintily rose from her seat, dabbing at her lips. His brothers, Vincent and Constantine, gave low ‘ooohs’ and nudged each other like idiots when realizing what would go down. Though he felt the seed of reluctance blossoming in the pit of his stomach, Sebastian obediently followed his mother’s directive. She smirked and held out her arm, which Sebastian linked with his. Celeste marched with her son toward the Trevelyan table and watched as those sitting around the table noticed her approach with soured expressions.

“Here comes the witch-” Theo mumbled, giving the table the first head’s up when he noticed her approach, and Kassandra instinctively curled her fingers with Cullen’s. That was a nervous habit of hers that she used to do with Sebastian when she sensed an impending fight between him, her, and his family—particularly Celeste. Cullen noticed the move but didn’t say anything. Instead, he gave her hand a soft squeeze to remind her that he was there and ready to intervene at a given moment. That stood as a noticeable difference between him and Sebastian, one she couldn’t help but compare.

“Ah, Celeste,” Aurora greeted when Celeste and Sebastian reached their table, but the welcome was anything other than warm and welcoming. Celeste didn’t mind the ice-cold reception and annoyed stares at her presence, knowing she approached to provoke them. Sebastian, on the other hand, appeared uncomfortable beyond description. When he wasn’t looking at the ground, he hesitantly glanced toward Kass and Cullen—and he found a stone wall pushed between him and his former girlfriend.

“Aurora, nice to see you and your family,” Celeste mused, like she didn’t know this trip was the Trevelyan tradition since Theo, Alek, and Kass were children. Her eyes jumped across the table and landed on Kass, causing her lip to curl when seeing her and Cullen holding hands over the table. She suspected something odd about the two of them or that Kass couldn’t wait to jump into bed with someone new when she helped her son find someone better—but that wasn’t the point. “I see you have a guest with you.”

“My boyfriend, Cullen Rutherford.” Kass declared sharply, not in the mood to tolerate conversation with Celeste or deal with the uncomfortably frequent glances Sebastian sent her way. Her annoyance was duly noted as Kass never made it a point to hide disdain when she didn’t have to, and she refused to let Celeste believe she was wanted here. She leaned forward, “If you would make your business known promptly, I think it would be appreciated.”

Sebastian held back a reaction; Nice to see Kass didn’t mince her words still.

Celeste’s expression darkened, and she laughed, trying to regain some control of the situation, “Reginald and I wished to extend an invitation to your family- and your date to join us for dinner. We have reservations at The Parlor at the end of the week.”

The Parlor was the nicest restaurant in the area and nothing to sneeze at, seeing reservations were borderline impossible to get without a divine miracle of the Maker. While the gesture could be written off as a goodwill attempt to bury the hatchet, Kass knew it as another attempt for the Vaels to flaunt their wealth and incite competition between the two families. She also knew that her parents would refuse to back down from the implicit challenge with all the stubbornness of the Trevelyan clan sitting at the table.

“Why, what an offer. We would be delighted to accept.” Hugo answered on behalf of the table, making Kass swallow thickly. She saw this coming, but that didn’t make it less embarrassing for her. Celeste appeared to be wickedly delighted with their decision, but Kass would ensure that euphoria ended short-lived.

“Cullen and I are going to go,” Kass declared, abruptly rising from the table, and Cullen followed her lead as they held their hands interconnected. She extended a bright, saccharine smile to Mrs. Vael, but the coldness of her eyes reminded her that nothing between them was changed. Out of the entire Vael family, Celeste Vael made it her personal mission to make Kass into Sebastian’s most miserable girlfriend. She never hid her dislike, and Kass refused to pretend like she relished any interaction with her and her hellish family. She ignored Sebastian beside his mother and turned to her family. “See you guys on the beach.”

“You have a lovely morning,” Cullen remarked to the group, somewhat awkwardly, before he and Kass left. Neither missed Sebastian’s attention fixated on their linked hands or the look of annoyance that permeated from his eyes. If Cullen didn’t know any better, he would think that Sebastian was jealous of him, and he should be.

The two walked away from the group, hoping no fights broke out or things got ugly. The situation wasn’t ideal, and accepting the bait to go to dinner for the sake of posturing didn’t sit right with Kass. She thought she brought Cullen along to act as a deterrent, not to drag him into the crossfire of a battle he arguably didn’t sign up for. Cullen could sense that Kass wasn’t feeling good about it and, in turn, she could sense his concern for her.

“I’ll be fine,” She mumbled when they entered the lobby, but neither of them fully believed that coming from her.

Cullen’s reply felt telling, a sign that he knew her as good as she knew herself. “You don’t have to be fine with all of this. None of this is normal or what normal people do. All I ever ask of you is that you’re honest with me.”

They walked to the elevators, managing to catch one that opened when a family stepped out of it and headed inside. Kass softly sighed as she pressed for the doors to close, looking at Cullen with concern lighting up her eyes, “I’m saying this now, but dinner will be the biggest disaster. Mark my words on the Maker with this one.”


	7. dinner goes to hell in a breadbasket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with the Trevelyans and Vaels has come. Frankly, Kass wouldn't be surprised if the venue erupted into flames from the war of words about to be waged over h'orderves and fancy wine.

Standing in the glowing reflection of her hotel room's bathroom vanity, Kassandra studied her image with a keen, critical eye—perhaps overly critical. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t want to see a single hair out of place or a smudge of lipstick on her teeth, especially with Mrs. Celeste Vael as a dinner guest.

She nervously adjusted the part of her hair three times in two minutes, indecisive about what choice made her look better. She hated all this pageantry and pretense over dinner, as the whole damn thing could sour her vacation and blow her and Cullen’s cover. That, and who wanted to have dinner with their ex, his family who hated her, and his new fiancée that came as her rebound? Kass knew no one in their right mind, but she sucked it up and prayed to the Maker that she didn’t lose her cool.

She heard Cullen knock on the door softly, an inquiry as to if he could come in. She managed a small smile at the silver lining; she couldn’t have gotten a better man to play the job of her pretend boyfriend. She fluffed out her hair to give it the trademark volume she got known for and spun around to whisper a sweet, “Come in,”

“Uh, are you ready to- Oh, Maker, you look nice,” Cullen remarked when his eyes landed on her, taking in the simplistic showstopper in Kass’s dress. She politely requested his boldest red tie, and he could understand why, seeing a matching shade of cherry red as her cocktail dress. Exposed shoulders and a dip in the neckline showed some skin without too much being on display with the nice addition of a cleanly layered, tiered ruffle skirt and long sleeves. She did her hair up and made her makeup appear more subtle, besides the lipstick, to keep the attention on the dress. That would classify as a revenge dress, through and through, meant for the wandering eyes of one Sebastian Vael.

“Thank you,” Kass pushed one of the few loose tendrils of hair she chose to curl and frame her face with behind the shell of her ear. She gestured to the dress, knowing it could be a bit much. “I wasn’t fully sure about this dress, but I appreciate the compliment.” 

“Well, you look great. Don’t even second-guess yourself, okay? We should probably head out if you’re ready—unless you plan on showing up a little late.” Cullen suggested, unafraid of arching his brow and calling out to the petty voice inside his best friend. He knew her, and one of the hidden vices she covered up well was that she held a petty streak. Now, he’d argue most people that Kass reserved her pettiness for deserved it wholeheartedly, and Mrs. Celeste Vael was no exception to the rule.

Remember, Cullen ended up the shoulder Kass would cry on after a disastrous dinner where Sebastian failed to defuse the situation or protest against his mother’s disdainful treatment of Kass whenever she tried to make the Vael family like her. Her heart broke each time she tried to be a member of the family she felt so sure would comprise her in-laws, and Cullen harbored anger on her behest toward that family, with Sebastian chief on that list. A good boyfriend defended their significant other’s honor, no matter who made the accusations.

Me? Late? Never!” Kass exaggeratedly gasped, but a small smirk peeked out from behind the hand covering her mouth. She was as guilty as charged, and she knew it. Although she would feel so satisfied sticking it to Celeste and the Vael clan like that, it would be better to make it on time as much as possible. The traffic might be delaying them by a few minutes, “Although, the thought of being fashionably late did cross my mind, just to stick it to Celeste. But I am going to show her that I am better than her, that I don’t stoop to her level.”

Cullen playfully shook his head at her, eliciting a soft “Oh c’mon!” from Kass. He turned around and went to grab his room key off the bedside table where he’d leave it while in the room, letting Kass confirm her finishing touches in the mirror. He heard the shuffling of heels from the bathroom's tile onto the plush carpeting of their shared bedroom.

Kass grabbed her purse before the two departed from the hotel room, heading for the lobby. They rented a shuttle from the hotel earlier in the day through the concierge lounge and put down the perks of having a shuttle at their beck and call, something that enthralled Cullen. He mumbled something about having shuttles that would be useful on campus, leading to Kass teasing that she would happily donate to start an initiative if they slapped her face on all the shuttles.

Walking through the lobby, Kass reveled in the eyes on her and Cullen. They looked good, clearly. Maker knew how often they were mistaken for a couple and were good looking enough to make viable sense as a couple. She would give her family props where they were due, and this proved that her parents did advocate for the right choice.

Cullen held the door open for Kass, and the two of them piled in, letting the driver take them across the quaint, seaside town to the glamorous restaurant on beachfront property. The waters looked positively enchanting during the evening, all pitch-black waves and soft glow at the cresting of the water when hitting the shore.

While lounging in the backseat of the dark shuttle, Kass indulged the crisp night air and knew that she deserved this vacation. The past year saw her working harder than ever to push herself and define herself beyond her family name. No longer did Kassandra Trevelyan's name associate with the Trevelyan empire and wealth, but her work seemed the first thing people associated with her these days.

That was a marked improvement.

Soon enough, she and Cullen reached the restaurant where the driver promised he would be on call whenever she felt ready to leave. Understanding those fair terms, Kass prepared herself to endure what she might only describe as the dinner from hell, one she would willingly skip to do a marathon in the Fade for.

“You ready for this?” Cullen asked her one last time, knowing how easy it could be to turn around and walk the other way. Kass smiled fondly, appreciating the offer. He walked and existed in a world where things could be so straightforward, where pretense and pony-shows didn’t matter. As much as she wished it were different, Kass didn’t live in his world. She lived in a world where politics and grandstanding were as inherent as breathing.

She had to do this dinner, as much as she didn’t want to.

“I was born ready.” Cullen and Kass linked arms and walked into the lion’s den waiting for them, swept away in the lavish décor. The restaurant's interior gleamed and twinkled like the furnishings of the Winter Palace in Orlais, somewhere both had visited before. The elegance seemed almost lost on the small community, but the ventures of the rich into the quieter places was something unstoppable.

They told the hostess working the front of their reservation with the Vaels, and she immediately walked them through the room filled with wealthy patrons to the massive, circular table holding her family and the Vaels. She noticed everyone got the memo for their evening best, and she puffed her chest proudly when seeing Celeste Vael’s eyes narrow and turn away. She couldn’t find anything to criticize in hers or Cullen’s attire, which was something to praise Andraste about.

Celeste always had something to say.

“Apologies for the delay. I had an important work call.” Kass declared as she greeted her family with the appropriate cheek kisses, and Cullen followed behind her, giving hugs. Affection was a more foreign concept to the Vaels, so the show made them uncomfortable _. Good. They could stay that way._

Respectfully, Cullen pulled out Kass’s chair and pressed a delicate kiss into her hand. He leaned into his role of “doting boyfriend” with such ease, Kass wanted to tease him that she might miss this when they stopped pretending. She sat down with Theo on her left and Cullen on her right, but directly across from Sebastian, Gabi, and Celeste.

Gabi appeared largely disinterested like she wished she could be anywhere but there, making Kass feel for her. She understood that living in the limelight never seemed to be an interest of Gabi’s, and this debacle pulled her directly into the place she didn’t wish to be. Kass knew her and Sebastian's upbringing and lifestyle weren’t meant for everyone, especially people who would give anything to shed the coil of notoriety for the peaceful existence of remaining unknown.

“Your job? Still sitting behind a desk and writing reports for the marketable faces of your network to read, dear?” Celeste questioned snidely from the side, expecting that she would embarrass Kassandra over her lackluster role within journalism. She would argue people didn’t care about the faces behind the scenes, mainly impressed with the on-air talent.

Cullen let out a little growl, hidden behind clenched teeth. Kass told him in advance that this would be brutally uncomfortable and petty, commonplace for Celeste Vael. He underestimated how cruel she would be out of the gate, especially toward the woman that got her heartbroken by her son. But kindness seemed lacking in the Vaels, often calculating and self-interested.

Kass slipped his hand into hers but gave him a silent reassurance that she could handle this. An inquiry like that was pathetically easy to dismantle. She hoped that Celeste wasn’t losing her edge on her now because that would be a pity. “Oh, I haven’t mentioned? I took over the evening slot and anchor my own show called The Inquisition. Maybe you’ve heard of it?”

The visceral punch-back was palpable, and Celeste’s expression quickly soured from one of victory to one of shame that she swept behind a smile that missed her eyes. She had heard the name in passing but hadn’t put a face to the show. Beside her, Sebastian held back a sigh and looked down, which caught Kass’s attention.

She knew that move well. He did it when he knew something he wasn’t saying, and that immediately clicked into her brain for what he implied. He knew; Sebastian knew that she had a show of her own. _Did he- Had he seen it? Did he watch it?_

However, the peace wouldn’t last long. When no one spoke, the air surrounding the table filled with unbridled, undeniable resentment from all involved. Possibly the level of detestation could be described as hatred, pure and simple. The Vaels hated the Trevelyans, and the feeling was mutual. Only Cullen and Gabi were slightly distanced from this, but Gabi looked bored, and Cullen looked annoyed with the Vaels.

All this over the two exes warily eyeing each other from where they sat across the table. Sebastian was doing more of the uncomfortable staring while Kass glared back to tell him to back off. It didn’t take a genius to see that there lingered the green-eyed monster in their midst.

Neither of them would admit they were chomping at the bit to question the other’s motives. Kass wanted to know what Sebastian thought he was doing, ruining her family’s tradition on purpose this way. Sebastian had questions about when Kass and Cullen became a thing or for how long, having suspicions he needed to be assuaged.

Ultimately, it was Sebastian who crumbled to his curiosity.

“Well, I can’t say that hearing you and Cullen are a couple is all that surprising. How long have you been together?” Sebastian interjected through the silence, causing the resounding stop in everyone’s activities. People stopped drinking, trying the appetizers, or holding whispered conversations to take stock of Kass’s reaction and Sebastian’s question.

Kass’s face turned dark, shadowed over when quickly catching onto the implication. Sebastian might be a brilliant attorney used to slipping accusations past his opponents, but she was a journalist trained to catch rats like him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing—you two have always been close.” An ironic line of logic coming from him, and the two of them knew that. Kass should’ve expected this question would come in the most inopportune time, but she felt a twinge of disappointment in Sebastian. He turned into what he feared he would and promised her to keep him from becoming: an obedient son to his domineering parents. No longer was Sebastian the sharp, fast-talking, and a slightly rebellious young man with a charming grin and a passion for defending innocent people.

He turned into a muted, subservient mockery of the man he used to be. If Kass didn’t detest him so much for using her and wasting her potential and time, maybe she would pity him. He was bound by his family’s expectations like he feared he might. She could’ve helped him, saved him—but that chance died when he threw her under the bus.

“Kass and I started dating no more than six months ago. Funny story, it was a dare from our friends to go on one date, and we did, ending up realizing that there were genuine feelings there.” Cullen stated, jumping into the mix. If Sebastian wanted a fight, he could deal with both him and Kass. The two interlocked their hands on the table, meant for all to see.

“A dare?” Sebastian scoffed or choked out the words in disbelief. He earned himself a side-eye and frown from Gabi. It seemed a point of interest for everyone involved why Sebastian seemed invested in the details of Kass’s and Cullen’s relationship so suddenly. Interesting indeed-

Kass pursed her lips, knowing Sebastian made a fatal error. He seemed invested like he cared about what she did, which left him looking worse off. Not to mention, asking your ex-girlfriend about her and her new partner while your new fiancée that you haven’t so much as kissed tended to be a bad look.

Kass sighed, sounding thoroughly disappointed, and she fixed Sebastian a look, “I don’t think it’s any of your business how Cullen and I happened to find love with each other. Things like this happen organically, and they’re better that way. Naturally, Cullen and I are a good fit since we’ve been friends for years, and I trust him. I wish everyone could find a relationship as wonderful as Cullen and I’s.”

The reactions across the table reflected that the snarky response, buried behind a sweet tone and soft smile, conveyed clearly. Her parents looked immensely proud. Sebastian’s brothers looked torn between hollering and snapping back something. Reginald and Celeste Vael appeared horrified and offended, whereas Gabi appeared ready to storm away from the table.

However, the best reactions were from her brothers. Alek dramatically sipped at his wine to hide the grin taking over his face while Theo shoveled bread into his mouth like popcorn at the movie theaters when the scene got good. Their reactions might make her laugh, but Sebastian’s scowl brought the moment back to the game at hand.

He hissed something under his breath that Kass couldn’t quite catch, but Theo did from how quickly his face transformed from entertained by his sister’s wittiness into a murderous rage. Theo was a sweet guy, so getting him mad meant something serious. Kass’s side of the table tensed wordlessly and watched Theo glared at Sebastian, seconds away from lunging.

“I dare you to say that again, and I will beat the shit out of you for saying anything about my sister like that again.” He threatened, sending a chill through Kass’s blood.

“What did he say?” Cullen questioned, prepared to join forces with Theo and cause some serious shit for Sebastian. He would make a scene; he didn’t care. He had nothing to lose in social standing or the esteem of his dinner guests. He felt sure that the Vaels thought lowly of him because he didn’t come from money or hold a job like an attorney or socialite.

“Don’t you dare threaten my son-” Reginald growled out, bringing out the defensive side of Hugo Trevelyan, and that meant unmatched anger. That saw three pairs of ice-blue eyes furiously glowing from the Trevelyan side of the table in Kass, Theo, and Hugo.

“Then, your son shouldn’t talk badly of my daughter,” Hugo replied, refusing to let anything the Vales did get by him. Kassandra was the victim of them, not the other way around. He let them go far enough with their foolishness. Aurora, beside him, looked prepare to hand him her steak knife as a weapon.

“Dibs on the lanky one. Looks like he’d be easy in a fight.” One of the brothers nudged the other, nudging his head toward Alek. Alek stopped drinking his glass of wine, overhearing their assessment of him, and he thought it hilarious that his lankiness made him easy pickings. They should know that he never fought without Theo or Kass by his side, and neither of them was people anyone wanted pissed—especially Kass.

Alek set his wine down on the table and began rolling up his sleeves like he prepared for a fight, “Want to bet on that, you little punk-”

“You Trevelyan heathens!” Celeste gasped, and that seemed the final straw, encouraging everyone at the table to start bickering amongst each other. Their voices all clashed together and threatened to start rising above the whisper volume they committed themselves to, wanting to avoid attention over their spat.

The three members of the table who weren’t arguing were Gabi, Cullen, and Kass. Gabi had no horse in this fight beyond being Sebastian’s fiancée, but she knew there was one source of the conflict. So, she threw a glare at Kass and silently fumed about being dragged her. She could be back home, hanging out with her friends at her favorite pub, and being relatively happy instead of getting paraded around like an object. But no, she needed to be there because Kassandra was.

Dinner was, for lack of a better word, a predictable disaster.

The fighting abruptly stopped when the waiter swung by to check on them, and Aurora and Celeste jumped to ask for a few more minutes to decide on their meals—eliciting glares. Kass wrestled with the decision to start shoving the breadsticks into her pockets and leaving or something. She didn’t want to spend another minute entertaining the interrogation thinly veiled as a dinner.

She had enough wearing her patience thin, and the next insult that came from the opposite side of the table would be met with a scathing retort that could be classified as attempted murder. She heard her phone ringing in her purse, which she assumed to be a work call. She would take it elsewhere as not to have the Vaels eavesdrop on her conversation.

However, when she looked down at the caller ID, she received quite the surprise when she saw Cullen’s number dialing her. She turned her head ever slightly to the side, facing him and noticing how his phone hid underneath the tablecloth. With her attention on him, Cullen leaned in ad dropped his voice to an undistinguishable whisper.

“I think we’ve had enough of this. No fancy dinner is worth sitting through another hour of snide interrogations. How about you and I sneak away, call the car, and order all the room service and booze we can stomach back at the hotel?”

Kass felt her lips pull into a delighted smirk, finding herself enthralled with Cullen’s brilliant plan. She had forgotten what a genius tactician he was when it came to social situations, as much as he pretended to be bad at them. Cullen worked with a large toolbox to move through social settings and could play inter-personal politics quite well for a man who hated them.

“I like the way you think,” Kass agreed, and she tapped her phone, drawing Cullen’s attention to it since it stopped ringing. “Call me again, and we’ll pretend it’s a work call. You can pretend to use the men’s room or something and end up meeting me in the front. This place isn’t worth it, you’re right.”

Cullen, nodding, pressed the call button and watched as those sitting at the table snapped their heads toward Kass rising. She looked at her phone and cleared her throat, “Another work call. I’m going to take this.”

She, without waiting for permission, walked away and pretended to answer the call. Cullen ended the call when she got far enough away that the others couldn’t see the screen. None noticed how she grabbed her purse for a simple work call. She walked for the front of the restaurant and waited outside, having called the car.

Maybe three minutes later, Cullen reached her side and nudged her, “Told them I was going to the men’s room or something.”

“Excellent,” Kass grinned as their car pulled up. Cullen opened the door for her to head inside, and she slid into the back. Cullen followed and closed the door behind him, letting the shuttle take off. The two laughed when thinking about the other’s faces when they realized they left.

She hoped they assumed they ran off to have sex or something. That would be funny.


	8. mimosas, facials, and gossip, oh my!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kass and Aurora have some mother and daughter bonding with gossip afoot and Kass's attention trying to stay off Sebastian

Throwing open the curtains to let the sun in, Kass gave a soft sigh and basked in the light streaming through the balcony window. It looked like a lovely day outside, which meant perfect pool weather. That’s where she and Cullen spent most of their time the last few days, enjoying the shade of umbrellas, cool and clear water, and the never-ending stream of drinks they placed on the room tab. Cullen initially joked he felt bad that he enjoyed all the perks for not doing much work, to which Kass mused that he could throw in some more fake making out.

Cullen didn’t say no to that proposition, but he didn’t consider that a burden in the slightest. But that’s a story for later.

Kass spun around, seeing Cullen reading something on his tablet with his reading glasses perched low on his nose. This was the best part of vacation for her (and she suspected Cullen too): having nowhere to be and getting to finally relax.

“Emails?” Kass questioned, fairly sure she knew the answer already. Cullen barely glanced up from his computer, chuckling.

“Yeah,” He confirmed, finishing up his third email of the morning. He needed to sort out some business about his contract for next year and the courses he was willing to teach. He was a popular teacher on campus with one of his courses, so the school wanted to keep him around. They paid well, and he got to study subjects he loved for a living—you couldn’t go wrong with that. “They wanted to see what courses I’m willing to teach next semester.”

“Don’t you love negotiating power? Makes life easier.” Kass crawled back on the bed, taking down the remnants of the pillow divider, and she sat back. Cullen glanced up when she fixed his glasses, smiling at her.

“Well, I have a little bit of bargaining power. Nothing compared to what you have with the network.” Cullen playfully nudged her. Kass was Thedas News Network’s brightest star and fast-rising to become the number one news anchor across the media conglomerate. Therefore, she had the world wrapped around her finger and all the power to bargain for things like writing her monthly contract to include a month off for the vacation.

“Guilty,” Kass winked, but she quickly rolled off the bed when she heard her phone ring. She held up a finger to Cullen, asking him to hold off for a moment. Picking it up, Kass answered the call, “Hello? Kassandra Trevelyan speaking.”

Cullen took that as his cue to give her privacy. So, he sent his email and left his laptop open on the bed. He walked through the quiet suite, enjoying the stream of cool air washing over the room from the air conditioner. The two of them elected to stay in as they were homebodies regularly and that the heat could sometimes feel downright miserable.

He stopped by the table with the connected landline and the fancy room service menu, tempted to call breakfast to the room for him and Kass to enjoy. Ever since that hellish dinner, Sebastian popped up everywhere they did. Sometimes, he was with his family or Gabi, and sometimes he was alone. Either way, his presence put Kass on edge, and Cullen hated seeing her stressed out when they should be having a good time. So, a little kindness might go a long way.

Opening the menu, Cullen studied the breakfast page with wide eyes. Sweet Maker! The options were endless and bountiful in their selection, leaving him somewhat intimidated. Kass ordered in for them after they escaped dinner with the Vaels, so he had no clue.

He chewed on his lip, debating a few options, when there came a knock on the door. He didn’t know whether Kass was on call, so he would handle it. “I’ll get it!” He declared.

Cullen hustled toward the door, opening it to reveal Hugo and Aurora standing outside it. He immediately waved, “Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Trevelyan! What brings you by?”

“Morning, Cullen,” Aurora smiled, linking her arm with Hugo’s. She noticed her husband’s raised brow when seeing Cullen standing in the doorway dressed in a white t-shirt and loose-fitting grey sweats. “Where’s Kassandra?”

“She’s taking a call,” Cullen remarked, opening the door further to invite them into the living room of the suite. Aurora and Hugo politely walked past, and Kass came out of the bedroom with the phone to her ear. She stopped and mumbled that she needed to go.

“Kassandra! You and Cullen haven’t been seen for days. Have you two been hiding out in the room?” Aurora questioned.

Kass dropped her phone and shrugged, “We’ve been to the pool once a day.” She suggested, eliciting a disappointed groan from her mother. Hugo pats Aurora’s shoulder, reminding her why they came.

Aurora shook her head and sighed, “Your father and I have come to split you two up for the afternoon and take you out. You’ve been too lazy and need to come out and explore the resort.”

“Fine,” Kass sighed, looking at Cullen with an apologetic expression. Cullen shrugged, not seeing a problem in them going out. He liked Kass’s family and could spend time with them. “What are we going to do.”

“Your mother will be taking you to the spa for the afternoon while Cullen is coming with the boys and me to go golfing.” Hugo declared, and Kass nearly balked at the mention of golf. She had only gone once before, and she swore she would never again.

“Are you sure that golf is the best course of action? I’m sure that Cullen might not want-”

“Kass,” Cullen rubbed her back, drawing her eyes onto him. He gave a reassuring nod and smile, telling her that he would be fine despite his personal dislike of golf. They made fun of golf early on in their friendship when Cassie shared videos of her and her brothers goofing off around the golf course. “I’ll happily play a nine-hole round. Let me get dressed.”

Cullen departed from the room, leaving Kass with her parents. She clapped her hands together, “So, should I get a bag?”

“Yes,” Aurora confirmed, pressing a kiss to Hugo’s cheek. He smiled and turned to kiss her forehead, making Kass pretend to gag and glance away. Her parents were still in love after years together, and their relationship was nauseatingly cute.

So, she jogged to the room and threw a bag together. She grabbed flip flops, her room key, wallet, phone, and headphones into a small tote bag. She saw the bathroom door closed, expecting Cullen was changing into the proper attire for the greens. She shook her head; poor sod was golfing.

Kass exited the bedroom and closed the door, hiding the single bed. She hadn’t informed her parents about it, and she didn’t want to have that conversation. It would raise too many questions.

“I’m ready to go!” Kass exclaimed, skipping back to her parents. Aurora nodded, reaching out her hand to Kass. The two left the hotel room as Hugo waited for Cullen to come back out.

Together, they rode the elevator down a few floors to the spa complex, nearly taking up the building's entire level. Kass couldn’t remember the last time she went to the spa, thinking it to be years ago.

Pushing the spa door open, the aroma of scented oil tickled Kass’s senses, and a blast of warmth swooshed past her like a summery breeze. She headed in first and let Aurora check them in for their appointment, overhearing the itinerary. She heard mani-pedi, facial and body wrap, massage, and tub bath.

“Andraste, I’m going to feel brand new after this.” She thought aloud, feeling the knot in her shoulder pulsing angrily. She rubbed at it, knowing it would be gone soon-ish. She had meant to get a deep tissue massage or something to handle it, but it got lost in the hectic shuffle of her daily life.

Aurora hustled back with two black robes, monogrammed with the spa name on the left breast, “Alright, my star! We change into these, and we leave our bags in the secure lockers. That means your phone. You’re unplugging for the spa day and spending time with your dear old mother.”

Kass pretended to protest, but she accepted the robe. She and Aurora walked over to the changing rooms to get into their robes and drop their bags. They passed other women indulging in the other services within the spa complex, ducking into the dark, candlelit room meant for changing. New-age music soothingly played through the speakers, and the sound of running water filled the room.

Kass and Aurora ducked into separate stalls to strip down and change into the robes, surprisingly plush for the material. Kass even pulled her hair loose out of the bun, sighing when she shook it out. They re-emerged to tuck their bags and clothes into lockers with keycards handed to them, keeping their belongings safe.

Returning to the main room, they were given two fresh mimosas to enjoy and told their mani-pedis would begin momentarily. 

As they waited for the manicurists to finish cleaning two chairs for them, Aurora leaned over and nudged Kass, “So, you and Cullen vanished the other night during dinner. I must say, Celeste appeared quite angry at your disappearing act, and Sebastian didn’t talk for the rest of the night. Where did you run off to?”

“The hotel.”

“Really? Why?” Aurora cocked her head to the side, not understanding Kass sometimes. Her daughter was brilliant, but sometimes she did the craziest things.

“I thought that it would get under Celeste’s skin if Cullen and I abandoned her little interrogation dressed up as a formal dinner. Clearly, my hypothesis proved accurate from your account,” Kass laughed as she and Aurora were ushered to take their seats. “She didn’t change.”

“Hah, that is true,” Aurora snickered, and she sipped at her mimosa. She examined her nails and thought the deep red she picked out would look nice. She knew that Kass would want acrylics and ordered those in the package. “The look on her face was brilliant-”

“If you don’t mind, mom, I’d rather not talk about Sebastian or any of the Vaels,” Kass picked up her mimosa, downed half, and held it in her hands. “Frankly, giving them the time of day drains me, and I’m trying to get to the place where I don’t care about them.”

“I wish they hadn’t come along, especially with Sebastian’s new fiancée. How tacky!” Aurora huffed, sipping her drink. Kass nodded wordlessly, dipping her feet into the water. She looked over at her mother, her rock growing up, and smiled.

Aurora smiled back and held her glass up, “To us and our family vacation. We deserve it.”

“I wonder what the boys are up to?” Kass hummed, leaning back into the cushy chair. She felt the tingling of the elfroot face wipe she used in the locker room while the nice manicurist started her complementary pedicure that came in the spa package. After the drama plaguing her vacation and Sebastian popping up everywhere she went, she needed this badly.

“Who knows!” Aurora mused, the two of them bursting into laughter and clicked their mimosa glasses together. Kass was sure the boys would be fine without her and her mother for an hour or two. What could possibly go wrong?


	9. who says golfing can't get exciting?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cullen and the Trevelyan boys head out to the green for some fun, but end up with more than they can chew with an unexpected confrontation between Sebastian and Cullen.

Carrying a bag filled with nine irons and using the bag to block out the angry, heated rays of the sun, Cullen walked alongside the Trevelyans on the manicured greens of the resort’s on-sight golf course. It was a nice afternoon, and he managed to convince Theo to let him be the caddy for their game.

Apparently, the Trevelyans took turns of who would play and who would be the caddy anytime they went golfing. Theo was bummed out until Cullen promised he would take over, earning Theo’s undying appreciation. So, Theo, Alek, and Hugo enjoyed a rousing competition of golf while Cullen got to drive the golf cart and engage in conversations. It worked like a win-win.

Theo sprinted over to the tee, placing down his golf ball and practicing his swing sans club. He held out his hand toward Cullen, “Good ser, I require a 9 iron.”

“Here you go, buddy,” Cullen smiled, fishing out the golf club from the bag. He passed it to Theo, who bounded back toward the tee. He watched Theo do a few small practices and gave him a thumbs-up. “Knock ‘em dead.”

“I’ve got this!” Theo exclaimed confidently, winding his arms back and smacking the golf ball with all his might—sending it into the rough of the course. Alek snorted out something indistinguishable, hiding under his amusement. Theo flipped him the bird, as one does, before walking back to them, slightly deflated.

“Alek, stop making fun of your brother,” Hugo gave a rumbling laugh and gently nudged him to go up to the tee. What a lovely family outing. Alek pulled out his club of choice from the bag, giving Cullen a respectful tip of his head, and approached the tee.

“Fore!” Alek teasingly yelled and hit a powerful stroke that landed him at the edge of the green. He pumped his fist, getting lightly shoved by Theo. The two of them were acting like overgrown children, but Hugo was used to that.

“We can drive closer to the green, but Theo will go first,” Hugo remarked to Cullen, giving him a polite smile. He always liked Cullen and was glad he convinced him to join him and the boys. He thought Cullen a young man with a good head on his shoulders, a respectable career, and wasn’t that Vael boy. He never liked Sebastian, knowing something about him would break Kassandra’s heart, and he hated being right. “Thank you, Cullen.”

“I can do that,” Cullen promised, and the four piled into the cart, driving down the green with Cullen behind the wheel. From the backseat, he overheard laughing, and Alek cleared his throat.

He smiled knowingly from what Cullen could see in the rearview mirror, “So, Cullen, Theo, and I were wondering when you and Kass are finally going to announce that you’re dating for real and finally take the plunge?”

“Yeah, man, me and Alek here want you to be our brother-in-law!” Theo snickered as they pulled up to the rough, where Theo would attempt to get toward the green. Cullen tried not to give any reaction, whether he rolled his eyes or stammered.

If he had a sovereign for every time he got asked this question…

“I’ve not the slightest clue what you two are on about,” Cullen remarked, getting disbelieving chattering between Theo and Alek. Their voices overlapped, so he couldn’t tell what they were saying, but he would put an end to it. “We’re just friends.”

“Yeah, right-!”

“Theo, go take your shot. Alek, go annoy your brother or something,” Hugo declared, shooing his sons toward the ball. He looked over at Cullen, making him stay seated. Hugo wanted to have a personal word with him without his son’s there. Their comments did address something he wished to talk about with Cullen, but alone.

He clasped his hands together, “Cullen, I do appreciate you coming with us. Maker knows you’ve been a force for good in my daughter’s life for years, being there for her as the best friend she needed. I can’t imagine it’s easy to drop everything so he could help her out and be there for her always. So, I want to thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, Mr. Trevelyan,” Cullen assured him, giving a smile. Thinking about Kass, smiling and laughing on his couch after watching some stupid movie or her long phone calls about her workday, told him everything he needed to know about why he did this. Kass meant the world to him; he would always be there for her. “I would do anything for your daughter, sir. She’s my best friend.”

“I know, and you care so deeply. Let’s get back on the course.”

The Trevelyans and Cullen swiftly finished their round when Theo miraculously scored a perfect shot from the rough and into the hole, making his score better. Alek and Hugo managed to get pars, evening out the score a little. They traveled down to the next hole in their cart, laughing and generally in high spirits.

That changed when they rolled to a stop next to another golf cart, meaning someone occupied the hole they were going to play. This wouldn’t be an issue, but who played caused a small uproar from Theo when he growled, “What do those assholes think they’re doing?”

Standing before them and setting up their things were the Vaels from Reginald, Sebastian, and his brothers Vincent and Constantine. This made for a less than ideal situation, but another fight wasn’t worth it. 

“Patience, Theo,” Hugo remarked, sighing. “We can wait for them to finish without engaging. It shouldn’t be too long.”

Those words quickly soured when Sebastian looked over toward the carts and saw them there. He mounted his club on his shoulder, narrowing his eyes. “Are you Trevelyans following us or something? Kind of pathetic how you’re insistent on being just like us.” His comments garnered the attention of his family, and they approached.

“Remind me again who takes this vacation each year for a decade and who only started coming this year?” Theo jabbed back, getting out of the car. Alek did too. Cullen, not wanting them to do something idiotic for Kass’s sake, got out too. Hugo was the last to leave the car, trailing behind the boys.

“Yeah, what’re you going to do about it, tough guy?” Vincent scoffed, despite being half a foot shorter than Theo, and walked toward him. “You wear a leotard. You don’t scare me.”

“-And I could probably crush your head like a watermelon between my thighs. Keep talking, Vael, and I might be willing to offer a demonstration.” Theo remarked, not making a threat but levying a promise. He waited for an opportunity like this. 

“Oh yeah?” Vincent smirked, shoving Theo backward. Theo immediately tried to lunge, but Alek and Cullen were there to hold him back. Together, they kept Theo from throwing a punch or starting more trouble than he needed. Getting kicked out of vacation because of these clowns wouldn’t be worth the satisfaction of a fist colliding with a stupid Vael face.

“Hey! Knock it off!” Cullen growled, convincing Theo to back down. Cullen stepped forward, which made Vincent falter backward. Oh, so he feared him, huh? Good. He should be.

“You should really keep your mutt in check,” Constantine mumbled to Sebastian, who didn’t react beyond a huff of laughter. He and Cullen were engaged in a non-verbal showdown, glaring at each other. With Kass not around, the airing of grievances was free to commence.

Sebastian had no qualms striking first, “See, I should’ve paid better attention to that. Kass always did like to fraternize with people below her station, and look how that ended up. I’m sure this bastard convinced her to lower her standards.”

“Watch your mouth-” Cullen growled as Sebastian held up his hand.

“Tell me, how long did you wait before fucking Kass?” Sebastian questions, morphing from snarky to anger faster than Cullen could blink. Here was where it got personal, “I never trusted you or your motives while she was my girlfriend because I knew you wanted what was mine. I’d bet you preyed on her emotional weakness to get what you wanted, huh?” 

“First, don’t you ever call Kass ‘weak’ or slander her good name. She’s the strongest woman I know who has gotten up after rejection and heartbreak stronger than when she fell, which is more than I can say about you. Second, aren’t you the one who showed up to her traditional vacation with a rebound engagement? Desperate much? Third and final point, you only throw mud and act like you do because you know, deep down, you let her get away. She’s the girl who will always haunt you with how much you want her and how she was too good for you. Tough seeing her with someone better, isn’t it?” Cullen snapped back, drawing animatedly excited expressions from Alek and Theo.

They were living for this protective side to their sister’s friend.

That seemed to anger Sebastian, making him step forward into Cullen’s face. The two men glared at each other while the respective brothers on each side rushed to defend the other should a fight break out. They had been itching for an excuse to throw a few punches.

“This isn’t worth it,” Sebastian hissed out after a moment, looking to his family. Cullen sneered at him, disgusted with his behavior. He never liked Sebastian in the first place, but this proved his distaste from the get-go. “One of us should leave before it gets messy.”

“We’ll leave. No need to stick around and deal with the likes of you.” Hugo interjected, happy to leave. He and his boys got in a good couple of rounds of golf, and Aurora should be finishing up with Kassandra at the spa. They could get lunch or something and forget about this episode. Cullen agreed, nodding.

He stepped back from Sebastian, and the Trevelyans walked away, ignoring the jeers from Constantine and Vincent. They simply wanted a fight to break out. Cullen got behind the wheel, gripping it with white knuckles, and drove them back to the hotel. They handed back their equipment to the staff and walked in the direction of the pool.

When they got there, they spotter Aurora and Kass standing together with sunglasses, sundresses, and fruity cocktails in hand. Cullen’s face softened when seeing Kass looking radiant, glowing from whatever they did to her at the spa.

As the boys approached, Aurora waved at them, which turned Kass to ask how golf went. She knew she would be dead on her feet and over it after a nine-hole course. Meanwhile, she felt thoroughly refreshed from the pampering experience, most pleased with the glow of her skin and her new pale pink acrylic nails. Kass took one look at the frazzled expressions of her brothers, her father, and Cullen and raised a brow, “What happened to you four?”

“Golf.” Cullen quickly replied, seeming perfectly calm than when he and Sebastian were getting in each other’s faces. Although the anger lingered in his stomach, he didn’t want to get Kass involved. She didn’t need to know that he thought her ex was no better than a darkspawn mutt and needed a good punch to that smug face of his.

“Your ex-boyfriend.” Alek and Theo snorted, correcting the narrative. Kass immediately looked between them and Cullen, noticing the leftover frustrated scowl. She knew him better than anyone else, realizing that her brothers were truthful. She swore the next time that she saw Sebastian, the two would exchange some words.


End file.
